I'll Make This Whole World Shine For You
by illuminatachime
Summary: AU. Somewhere around the time of the episode "The Western Air Temple." Katara is kidnapped by June the bounty hunter, who hopes to lure the rest of the Gaang in and take them to the Fire Lord for a huge reward. However Zuko, who is not yet a member of Team Avatar, or even an ally, rescues Katara. Along the twisting path, Katara finds herself questioning his intentions.
1. Taken

"Guys, check this out!" said Aang as he flipped his glider up and above him through the air. Soaring, he kicked his legs up, wrapping them around the long stick, then adjusted himself until he stood. Throwing his arms out with a burst of laughter, he did a somersault across the glider; Katara thought it was an acrobatic worthy of Azula's friend, Ty Lee.

Toph seemed to get the same idea, because she said, "Come on, Twinkletoes, this isn't the circus!" But she smiled and did a handstand, laughing when Aang almost collided with her when he landed.

Katara turned back to her brother as Aang raced up to meet them. She gave Sokka a hard look. "I just don't think it's worth the trouble," she said for the fiftieth time. Ignoring Sokka's pouty look, she folded more blankets and handed both him and Aang a stack. "Just go put these away."

"Okay," chirped Aang, breezing off – literally – to shove the blankets in some abandoned closet.

Sokka plopped on the ground with his stack in his arms, sighing dramatically and crossing his legs. "Katara," he whined. "We haven't been anywhere _all week_."

"Not today, Sokka." Katara mimicked his sigh and sauntered away. Drawing up water from the canteen at her hip, she bended it around her neck, cooling it just a little. She was relieved when she touched it to her skin; the heat in the Fire Nation was almost blistering. Why did she have so much _hair?_ If only there was a better way to take care of it…

Toph emerged from the temple, through the same door which Aang had used to get in. "Western Air monks were pretty crafty with the architecture, eh?" said the earthbender, marching over to Sokka and dropping down beside him. Tucking her arms behind her head, she licked her lips. "When's the food coming?"

"After I get done with the laundry. Of course, it'd be faster if I had a little _help…"_ replied Katara, irritated, as she snatched the blankets back out of Sokka's hold. "No one is willing to cooperate."

"Well, 'no one' wants to go somewhere," Sokka huffed, throwing himself over on his stomach.

"Sweetness not letting you out of her clutches?" Toph asked, kicking him softly in the leg. "You don't need her permission to leave."

"I know," said Sokka, slapping his hand to his forehead. "It's just that Aang won't go unless Katara approves."

As if he'd heard his name, the airbender materialized at Katara's elbow. "Guys, don't be so rough on Katara. She takes care of us." He smiled sweetly at the girl next to him, and Katara returned his smile, then shoved her armful of fabrics into his hands. He groaned and sped off again.

"I'll go with you," volunteered Toph. "I've been dying to get out of this place too, y'know. Who cares if Twinkletoes doesn't wanna come along? Let's go somewhere fun."

"No." Katara crossed her arms. "Unless I go with you, you'll get into trouble."

"We get into trouble with you around, too, you know."

"Then why don't we just _avoid_ trouble and stay? Besides, Aang needs to work on his bending."

"He's learned _everything_ you and I both know, Katara," protested Toph. "We'll go look for a firebending teacher if it calms your overly paranoid nerves."

"_Overly paranoid?"_ Katara repeated. "Do you hear yourself? We're in the _Fire Nation_, Toph. We are surrounded by _enemies._ We should stick together."

"Then come with us! Why's it such a big deal for you to go? You've folded the clothes, and we can get food in the village! You can come with us instead of sitting here, worrying."

"What, so I should worry in town? That's great, Toph. Really great," sighed Katara. "Look, I'm done arguing. You're not going anywhere today."

"You're not our _mother_, Katara," Toph said, stomping her foot on the ground and unsettling Katara's own feet. Wobbling for her balance, Katara glared at the shorter girl.

"Then stop making it so I have to mother you. Grow up. You guys can't always get what you want. This isn't supposed to be fun. This is supposed to be _us_, teaching Aang how to survive the day of the comet. Daily trips to places where you buy things you don't need and get into unnecessary trouble aren't what we're supposed to be doing."

"We can have a little _fun._ Come on, it's not like you've got some scroll that tells us how to teach the Avatar. You don't have all the answers. You don't control us. You're not our mother. You're not our leader. We can go where we _want_, when we want, and you can't stop us," spat Toph. Without hesitation, she grabbed Sokka by his shirt and dragged him off, into the temple, where Katara heard her yell for Aang to join them.

Sighing again, Katara collapsed onto the dirt, folding her arms around her knees with a forlorn expression on her face. Didn't they know she was just trying to keep them safe, and united? Sure, maybe she could loosen up once in a while, but they'd get out of control – they'd done it before.

_I wish they'd just listen_, she thought with a sudden burst of anger. _I never said I was the leader, but I'm obviously the most responsible one. They're the ones who're being kids and rebelling against everything I say. _

She grumbled and got up, dusting her legs off, and raised her chin to stare at the sky. The sun was still high in the sky, so Katara decided to walk it off. "I'm going to find food," she said to no one. What was the point of saying it, anyway?

Venturing off into the wilderness, Katara carried with her a basket for the edible plants. She dreamed up recipes and hummed Southern Water Tribe melodies that she, and every other member of the tribe, knew by heart. She picked berries and nuts and leaves, going only on what she knew was safe to eat. Here and there, she'd pop a bit of it in her mouth, singing quietly to herself.

The day blazed on and the sun beat down on her back; Katara could almost feel her shoulders, arms, and neck blistering. Her vision was getting blurry and the air was getting stuffy, which was a bad sign. Bending water out of her canteen, she found no solace in running the chilled water over her sweltering flesh, and instead became wearier.

Stumbling around, Katara became angry with herself for letting such a simple thing – _heat! –_ slow her down. She was just short of delirious, having to sit herself down on a rock and saturate her hair with the water, when she heard a familiar clomp, clomp, clomp of animal feet.

"Appa…?" she guessed, head spinning.

"Nope. Sorry, sweetie," said a voice she remembered with horrible certainty. But before she could protest, her vision was cut off and she was being lifted off the ground – her basket fell from her hands and she heard it rolling across the dirt – and, trying to call for help, she realized that she was very far from the temple, and that her friends had gone into the village, which was even farther away from here.

_June._

* * *

"Maybe we shouldn't have left Katara," said Aang as he, Toph, and Sokka returned from their trip to the neighboring village. It was surprising how the Fire Nation had completely taken over, colonizing and claiming the island for their own. However, the gang had found cold ice shavings and thought of Katara, then rushed home to share the food with her before it melted.

However, when they arrived at the temple, the waterbender was nowhere to be found. They searched the temple high and low, to no avail. Brushing it off as another of Katara's ultimatums, they curled into their unfolded blankets and slept happily.

* * *

"So tell me," said the bounty hunter as she took Katara across the land, in what felt like a cart. With the black fabric over her head, Katara was as blind as Toph, and very, very frustrated. It made her even more heated, both in temper and temperature. "Where're your friends?"

"Friends," Katara spat, a little too harshly before she realized she had to protect Aang. Gathering her courage, she heaved a breath of defiance in June's general direction and continued, hoping it was believable. "What friends?"

"Ooh, did I touch a sore spot?" June's voice was honey over molten rocks; dangerously sweet. "Let me guess. You left them."

"Maybe," said Katara, knowing she must've give up false information too easily. She turned her head away from where she felt June was, acting childish to play June's thoughts – if the lady was treating her like a kid, why not act like one? June might believe her for her immaturity.

"Aw, honey, I've been there."

Deciding to test the waters, Katara said hesitantly, "Really?" Maybe if she could connect to June in some way, she could persuade June to let her go…or get the jump on June when she was least suspecting it.

"No. Don't lie to me, darling. It won't turn out pretty for you." June's voice cut through Katara and the younger girl felt instantly dumb; that was a path vanished. June wasn't going to be fooled. Hearing June shuffle away, Katara leaned back against what she hoped was a tree – they'd stopped moving when all the tiny holes in the hood had faded away; when it'd gotten dark.

She could tell she was outside, and that all the hunters were to her right – eating, it sounded like. Katara felt her stomach growl but did not ask for food; she would not be at their mercy to that degree. Holding her chin high and proud, she dug the heels of her tied hands into her middle to quiet the grumbles, and tried to fall asleep. It was no doubt that she'd be here for the night.

* * *

Two days passed and the gang grew worried, taking Appa over the land to see if they could spot anything suspicious – anything that might've taken Katara. Toph felt through the ground to see if anyone tunneled underneath, but Katara wasn't there either.

The evening of the second day, Aang took his glider and blew himself high into the sky, looking for smoke from fires lit for camps on the ground, but found none. He knew, without question, that Katara wouldn't let anyone get too far away – and besides, it was a small island. Someone would have to have a boat to leave here, and if they were keeping hold of Katara, they'd need a _lot_ of people, which meant a big ship. He and Sokka had seen none in the seas surrounding the island, so they knew Katara was still moving, but on the ground.

Aang returned from flying overhead to the heat of Sokka's fire, a despaired expression etched on his face. When he met Sokka's eyes, he saw his fear reflected in them.

"It's _Katara,"_ said Aang, forcing tears back. "She's never been gone this long, Sokka."

"I know, little buddy. I know." Sokka hunched over and glanced at Toph, who was sitting just inside the fire's range of warmth, but out of reach. He frowned and Aang noticed that he looked incredibly tired; pinching the bridge of his nose, Sokka said reluctantly but fiercely, "We shouldn't have left her."

Without words, Toph got up and walked away, and for the first time, she did not pack ground-punches in with her anger. Sokka stared after her for a long time, and then at the rising moon.

_Oh, Yue,_ he thought, bathed in moonlight. _Look after Katara until we can find her. Please._ And for a moment, he could almost see Yue's face shimmering in front of him, giving him that determined look, and he knew, even if it was just a mirage, that Yue would give Katara her care. _Thanks._

* * *

High above the band of sudden strangers, perched in a tree, Zuko looked down upon Aang and Sokka. _They look so…broken_, he thought. _Katara. She's gone._ He remembered her fiery eyes; remembered how he'd thought she should be a firebender with that scowl, that dragon's heart.

_Snatched_, he thought further, because it'd obviously been a while since the kids had seen her. _Not by me, of course._ He counted the gang's other possible enemies on his fingers and sighed._ Not Azula – I'd _hear_ about that. Not my dad, I'd hear about _that_, too. That leaves…_

June.

Leaving his place on the farthest, strongest point of the highest branch he could risk climbing onto, Zuko headed stealthily towards the trunk of the tree, sliding down – unpleasant, due to the scratchy bark – and landing nimbly on the ground.

His mind was made up; he wanted to Join the Avatar. What better way than to rescue the kid's waterbending teacher, friend, and possible girlfriend? Bringing her back to Aang would win him great rewards. Ignoring the fact that all other times he'd helped the Avatar, he'd still been shunned by Aang's friends, Zuko began to look for the telltale tracks of June's…pet.

Finding them all too easily, Zuko wondered, _How did they miss these?_ He gave a snarky look over his shoulder to their fire, almost disappointed that they hadn't found these, so close to home, so paramount in finding Katara.

He scoffed, throwing his head back to look at the moon, now full in the night sky, and decided that he'd better call it a night. He'd need a lot of rest for the coming mission.

* * *

She'd lost track of the days, of the nights. Only being able to tell when someone was awake, Katara was desperate to get a sense of her whereabouts. But every time she asked a passing pair of feet where she was, where _they_ were, all that answered her was silence.

Now, it most certainly had to be night, because it was cool outside – well, cooler than it was when the sun was up – and because she was, well, _outside._ She'd been riding during the daytime in what she assumed was a wagon cart – overheated and very musky smelling.

She sat uncomfortably on the ground, knowing that once again, this was how she would sleep. She didn't mind it so much; she'd gotten used to it over the time with Aang. Sometimes when they didn't have a structured shelter to take refuge in, they would sleep either on Appa or on the ground.

June had traded in the bag over Katara's head for a blindfold, which, ironically, had slits cut for eyeholes, so Katara could "see." But they were just crosses and Katara could see hardly anything; thus she had to rely on her other senses to figure out her surroundings.

_Toph must be very frustrated all the time,_ she thought, but then remembered that Toph could, more or less, see with her feet. Forlornly, Katara's still-tied hands moved to her feet, running over the shackle – a metal _shackle;_ where did June get this stuff? – that was clamped shut around her ankle. There was a key to it, but she wouldn't get to it without getting away from the post that the shackle attached her to.

_Here I am, in the middle of the night, chained up, really needing to pee, with little food or water, without my friends. Great survival skills, Katara, _she thought sarcastically. _Really. Excellent. _

Katara felt a presence, suddenly. Flinching even though she had no idea how she knew someone was there – no sound came from that direction – Katara tried to peer through the small slits in her annoyingly wrapped blindfold, but found that the night was too black. _Waning moon_, she guessed, with the horrible realization that it'd been almost four days since she'd been captured.

Movement. A slight scrape of a shoe on the ground in front of her, a huff of frustration, and then a pause: _waiting to see if June or her crew heard._ Katara's eyes flicked uselessly towards the guard, and although she couldn't see him, his quiet, steady breathing told her that he was still asleep at his post. Her eyes faced in front of her again, but all she saw was blackness. The presence was familiar, though, and her heart began to pound.

"Sokka?" she whispered, hoping that her friends had finally tracked her down. It was still too dark to see, but she sensed more movement, and suddenly he was right in front of her. "Oh, Sokka, you're here, I–"

A hand clamped down over her mouth. She tasted ash and salt, mixed with soap and what tasted like either blood or metal – hopefully the latter. _"Quiet,"_ a voice hissed, like wind through tree branches at night.

Katara tensed. She _knew_ that voice. Throwing her head back until his hand fell away from her face, she growled slightly and raised a foot, kicking him in what felt like the leg. She realized he must've been crouching in front of her and scooted away from him as best she could with her bonds and the ground.

"_Zuko?"_ she asked incredulously. Somehow her action made her blindfold slip down just enough so she could see his pale face, illuminated in the moonlight. Currently, it was two shades of purple – one side because of his scarring and the other side because he was hot with rage. His head snapped towards the guard, who, now waking, began to draw a dagger from his belt.

With scary speed, Zuko was up on his feet and charging the man; two long, deadly swords suddenly in his hands. Things bounced on his back, and with a closer look, Katara saw that the swords' sheaths rested there, and also, the mask of the Blue Spirit.

Lashing out with his elegant blades, Zuko cut through the air towards the guard. The man reached up, and Zuko saw that above him, attached to the wagon, was a small bell. Faster he ran, and, chopping the bell off its post with a single flick of his left wrist, he caught it before it fell to the ground. Katara, dumbfounded, could hardly believe that he had carried out the deed without noise.

Too late, Zuko noticed the guard's movement in front of him, and ended up with the lesser half of a dagger lodged in his left shoulder. _"Agh,"_ he snarled, almost dropping the dao sword that his left hand held. The man retracted his hand, and with it, the dagger, preparing for another, more precise stab.

Raising his arms with the swords swerving in a deadly arc, Katara was afraid that he would kill the man. She squeezed her eyes shut for half a second then reopened them, staring towards the fighting duo with wide eyes.

The guard raised his arms to block whatever attack that Zuko had coming, but instead of slashing the man's arms like he easily could've, Zuko brought his head forward. A loud, definite _crack_ split the air, and the man fell to the ground like water.

Turning, Zuko staggered back towards Katara, sheathing his swords and scowling heavily. Searching for words, she glanced around him to the guard's slumped form. "What did you _do_ to him?"

Zuko was silent for a moment as he approached her. Slouching, he grabbed her arm and tugged her onto her feet. Despite her struggling, his hand was steady on her arm. With an elbow to his ribs, he grabbed her other arm and gave a slight groan. "He's not _dead,_" he said in his usual raspy voice. "I just knocked him out. Any longer and he would've alerted the whole village to us."

"_Us?"_ Katara growled, still straining. She contemplated biting him, but his arm was bloody. "What do you mean, _us?_"

Zuko huffed again, breathing steam into Katara's hair and shoulders. He wrestled both her arms into one of his and bent down, taking hold of the chains that attached Katara to the wagon. "Hold still," he snarled with another breath of steam.

She didn't. Giving him a good, solid knee to the gut, Katara wrenched free of his grip and opened her mouth to call for June. Surely there was some price on Zuko's head, as well. She hesitated as Zuko fell to the ground, realizing that if she exposed him, she very well might have to be chained _to _him.

In that moment, Zuko bounced off the ground as soon as he touched it; swung his legs out and towards Katara's, knocking her down so that she landed on her face. He winced a little before falling to his knees and putting a heavy leg on her back, keeping her from jumping up and kicking him again.

"…Sorry," he managed, coughing around the pain in his loins. He grabbed the chains again, and to Katara's amazement, produced fire in his palms. Dropping the chains shortly after but still holding his fiery hands close to them, he watched as they hissed and bubbled a little, then broke apart.

Katara simply stared. "Why'd you do that?" she asked plainly, after a moment. Clapping her hand to her forehead, she came up with an answer. "What, are you going to use me to get to Aang?"

Zuko put a finger to his lips, pointing in the direction of June and the others. "Run now, discuss later," he whispered. Before she could protest, he had her on her feet again and he was running, dragging a stumbling Katara along behind him.

"Zuko," she said at a couple points, but he'd drawn his mask over his face and was more or less ignoring her, save for the times that she tripped over rocks or sticks in which he lifted her, half-carrying her until she found her balance again.

Finally, they reached a small tent that was hidden well in the middle of the woods. He kicked the flaps open, fidgeting with a lantern for a moment before it lit. Letting Katara go, he ripped his mask off and stuck his head outside.

"What in the name of Tui and La is going _on?"_ Katara heard a voice say, and then with a little embarrassment noticed that it was her own.

Zuko flinched. Returning his head to the inside of the tent, which was blowing around in the slight breeze, he said, "He's going to wake up and tell them you're gone, soon. You'd better get some sleep."

Katara opened her mouth to say something insulting, but her eyebrows twisted further than they already were into disbelief. "Did you _headbutt _him?" she asked dubiously.

Zuko cut her off before she could say anything else. "Sleep now, discuss later." And with that, he stepped out of the tent, closing the flaps so harshly that if they were real doors, they might've slammed shut.

Katara sat awkwardly in the tent, listening as he walked around outside, and decided it was best that she stay awake. No surprises.

Outside, what sounded like Zuko climbing a tree rolled through the tent, and Katara realized he was either going to keep watch all night or sleep up there. Sniffing, she turned her nose up and started planning how to escape him.

Doubting she could get outside and away fast enough to successfully hide from him, Katara tried to move into a more comfortable position. She brought her legs around and found herself tangled up in the remainders of the chain, which was still manacled to her right ankle.

"You've got to be joking," she muttered. She grasped the broken chain and yanked, but there wasn't enough of it to do anything useful. Tugging half-heartedly a couple more times, Katara gave up and muttered.

Suddenly, there was a _thump_ right outside, and Zuko's head was once again poking in through the flaps of the tent. Without even asking permission, he stepped inside and over Katara, bending down and grabbing her ankle.

Kicking instinctively, Katara's foot made hard contact with Zuko's left shoulder. He sucked in a tight breath, and in the dimness, Katara could see that she had made the stab wound on his arm bleed again, and she almost felt bad as she watched the blood join the already-dry blood in soaking his shirt.

"Can't you ever hold still?" Zuko managed to snarl in a hushed tone. He grasped her leg in one hand and caught hold of the shackle. It began to sizzle, and Katara saw steam rising from it. She kicked again, softer this time; more just to get Zuko to loosen his grip.

"I can get it off myself!" Pushing his hands away and reclaiming her leg, Katara froze the shackle. Smashing it on the ground, she yelped as the ice-metal cut her skin. Blood welled on her shin, and she moaned. "That _hurts,"_ she whimpered.

"Now you're _bleeding,"_ Zuko hissed.


	2. Trouble

2

"Don't get annoyed," Katara shot back, to which Zuko stiffened. "_You're _bleeding too." Rolling her eyes at his confused face, she pointed to his arm. Retrieving water from a nearby tea kettle (Zuko had clearly been living here for a couple days), she bended it into a small ball.

"Don't—" began the firebender, but she shushed him, saying, "You're lucky I'm even healing you." Enveloping her hands in the water, she pressed them to the wound on Zuko's arm, slowly knitting his skin back together, cleansing it so there would be no infection. Katara didn't drop her guard but she felt calmer around him when he was on his knees next to her, patiently waiting as she relieved him of his pain.

When she was done, she set to work on her own bleeding wound, noticing that hers was merely a scratch compared to his deep injury. _Technically,_ she thought, _Zuko took a knife for me._ Her eyes widened in alarm at the thought and she shook her head, banishing the images, but her actions didn't go unnoticed by Zuko.

"What?" he asked, sounding irritated and self-conscious.

Katara stared at him blankly, trying to figure out what to say. Assuming her normal haughty pose, she turned her face away and crossed her arms. "I think you mean _thank you."_

"Thank you," he said, and from the sudden softness of his voice, it was obvious that he meant it.

Well. She hadn't actually expected him to _say_ thank you, but she was pleased. Blushing, Katara craned her neck so he couldn't see her face at all, and said, "Why did you…?"

"Why did I what?"

Hand flapping about, trying to find a place she could gesture to, Katara searched for words to explain what Zuko had done. She wasn't exactly sure if he'd _saved_ her, so she played it safe: "Why did you…take me away from June?"

Zuko didn't answer, and Katara didn't really want him to – not right then, anyway. As always, after healing, she became exhausted; more so than she already was. It must've shown on her face, because Zuko took one look at her and said, "Lie down. Sleep."

Her mind protested stubbornly, but her body followed his orders, sinking back onto the blankets that must've been his. They smelled homey, like maybe he'd had them as a child and used them often. It was not unpleasant – in fact, it reminded her of Sokka.

Sighing, her eyes fluttered closed, and she almost forgot that Zuko was still in the tent. As if he'd heard her thoughts, the firebender stood quietly and returned outside; Katara fell asleep before she heard him climb the tree, but not before she whispered, inaudibly, "Thank you."

* * *

Far away, June shrieked in rage. Kicking her unconscious comrade in the ribs, she watched as he sat up, sputtering. He rubbed his forehead, scowling against an agonizing headache, and turned his round face up to her, cowering, almost.

"_Where did she go?" _June asked through her teeth, eyes spitting fire and fingers raised like talons. She hissed like a snake, and her eyes grew small and slitty.

"I…I don't know," said the man, dumbfounded. He couldn't remember. Blinking once, twice, he tried to make sense of his jumbled memories from the night before. June's anger dispersed into the sizzling heat of the day, and she carefully picked up the chains that had once bound the Avatar's girlfriend.

Wrapping it around her hands and pulling it taut a couple times, June said, "She can't have just broken the chain. With waterbenders, they can freeze them and break them, but not without water."

"T-There was water around!" cried the man, gesturing to the plants that surrounded them.

"Her hands and feet were _tied,_" June said coldly. "What happened?"

The guard thought for a moment more, then his memory dawned on his face. "A boy," he said. "A boy came."

"And you didn't call for help? What, were you too _manly_ to ask for assistance? _That _got us far." June snorted and dropped the chains. They clattered against each other on the ground, and she stepped over them with mild disgust.

"No. I…I fell asleep," admitted the man, bowing his head. "But when I woke up, he had swords! Two _long_ swords! And he charged me. He ran straight at me and all I could do was—"

The man's words cut off as he looked back at the wagon which he'd slept against. His dagger was on the ground, half covered in dirt. He quickly retrieved it, stooping over and experiencing pain in his lower back. Bringing the knife up into the light, he showed June the blood that had dried on the blade.

"I stabbed him," said the man. His chest puffed out and he smiled, as if proud of himself.

"Well, _that_ didn't do much good." June examined her nails before crossing her arms.

"Wh-what?" he asked, deflating.

"_Clearly_, they still got _away,_" June sing-songed. Her attitude was growing more and more irritated, and her foot began to tap against the ground. "You didn't do much if he still managed to get Princess outta here."

"I'm sorry," said the man, exasperated. "I'll try harder – I'll even catch them myself—"

"No need," June dismissed, waving a hand at him like he was a fly. "Your job is done. You're done. Leave. I don't need you here."

"But…ma'am…"

"Get. _Gone,"_ June hissed through her teeth. Without a further word, she spun on her heel and walked towards the wagon, gesturing for her other cronies to follow. She shouted orders to the men.

"Nyla," she called, and the shirshu quickly made its way towards her, waking from slumber. Nuzzling her, it breathed inward, snorting. "Good boy," said June. "Let's go."

* * *

"I don't understand," said Sokka. He stood next to Aang and Toph, who were crouching on the ground. Toph drew a map of the island – it was amazing that she could _see_ so much – in the dirt as Aang inspected it. In the middle of the night, Toph had sensed unnatural movement, and had ever since been tracking it.

"It might be Azula," she'd said. "I can't tell how many pairs of feet there are – it's too far away – but that's all I can think of."

"What about Zuko?" Aang had asked, pulling on his chin as if he were stroking a beard in thought. "He could be nearby."

"True. But every time _he_ attacks, he usually comes from the sky. Or water." Toph sat back, allowing Sokka to study the maze she had drawn. "I seriously doubt it's him, Twinkletoes."

"You're probably right," Sokka mused, eyes moving over the drawing. "But there's still one thing I don't understand."

"What's that?" said the younger duo in unison.

"If they've got Katara, how come they haven't tried to bargain with us for her? You know, Aang for Katara? That seems like a reasonable thing to do."

"I'd do it," said Aang. "I would."

"I know, little buddy. But you can't."

"I think it's because they know we'd pull something. Trick them. Or they know we'd protect him at all costs," Toph said, turning her face upward towards Sokka. He stared at her pale, unseeing eyes and patted her shoulder.

"I just want her home," Sokka sighed, collapsing onto the ground between them. "I'm supposed to look after her. But she's looking after me, all the time."

"She looks after us, too," Aang said quietly. "Me and Toph."

"That's why we need to save her. Toph, we're going after the people you're tracking. I don't care if it's Azula and her friends. We need my sister back."

* * *

Zuko slept in the tree closest to his tent. It was uncomfortable and not easily managed, but he didn't want to sleep on the ground; he could see farther in all directions from up in the tree.

Waking up a little before Katara, he leaped from the lowest branch of the tree and landed a bit clumsily on the ground. Stumbling slightly, Zuko made his way around the tent, hoping he hadn't woken Katara. Luckily, he hadn't, and thus he set to work, making himself tea.

He had to use a lesser kettle than the one that was in the tent; Uncle Iroh had always carried two, just in case, and it'd become a habit for Zuko. He felt cranky, like he always did in the morning, but the tea calmed his nerves.

Zuko wondered if he should find some food. His stomach was growling and he only had a small bag of dried fruits, and he imagined that June hadn't fed Katara that much. Then he wondered if he should give her tea, not because she'd be waking up soon, but because she was a waterbender, and could probably kill him with it…

He shrugged, pouring another cup anyway, and went to find something edible in the wilderness surrounding them. If he were elsewhere, he might've worried that Katara could escape him, but she probably hadn't memorized the terrain of the island and would get lost within moments of leaving the tent.

That was true. Katara did get lost. Waking when he'd jumped out of the tree, she'd waited for Zuko to leave, and now he was finally gone. She'd moved quickly and quietly out of his tent, taking nothing but one of his dao swords with her.

She left his little camp stealthily, making sure not to make tracks. Although she didn't remember most of what she'd learned when watching as her father taught Sokka how to fight with a sword, she knew some basic stabs and jabs.

The sun moved slowly overhead, beating down on her as she made her way, turning every now and then. She had absolutely no idea where she was going, but she could tell that with each step, more distance was added between her and Zuko; hopefully, between her and June as well.

Perspiration dripped down her forehead and she bent it off, wishing she had some clean water to drink. Her throat was parched and it felt scratchy, felt like it was swelling inward and suffocating her.

Zuko's blade drooped in her hand and her back slumped after a while; Katara was growing tired and quite possibly very far away from finding her friends tonight. It was still light out, but she was extraordinarily hungry, having to stop every now and then to wait out the hunger pains that rumbled through her stomach.

Her back hurt and her eyes felt too dry; Katara just wanted to find Sokka and Aang and Toph. What if they were starving? She couldn't remember Sokka cooking anything besides fish. Aang didn't eat creatures that had once been living, and how could Toph make meals when she was blind? They'd had enough money to buy them about seven meals – if they went to the cheapest places, of course – but it'd been, according to what she'd overheard from June, about four days.

_Relax,_ she told herself, stopping to rest against a tree trunk. It provided little shade, but it was enough to satisfy her. _Toph knows how to_ gamble._ She's probably won more money than we already had…or – _she gulped – _she's gotten herself thrown in jail. _

_Oh, no._ She covered her face with one hand, terrified that her friends might've been caught without her watching over them. In her mind, it stopped becoming a possibility as she thought about it more and more, and eventually it was an actual scenario to her – she _had_ to find Aang, they were _wanted_ fugitives on Fire Nation land—

"You're not getting very far," said a voice from above her. Katara jumped and shrieked a little as she looked up; Zuko was sitting lazily on one of several low branches that the surrounding trees provided. He made pointed eye contact with her before he continued. "If you waste your energy wandering around, you'll be tired before the day's out and easier for June to track down. I know you probably don't want to, but you should come with me."

"No," said Katara, moving out from under the tree and raising Zuko's blade in defense. "I'm _not _coming with you. Don't try to stop me. I'm going home."

"You sound really sure of yourself," Zuko retorted with a snort. "I hate to say it but you've been circling the tent for almost the whole day."

"I have not!" Katara snapped. "I haven't even seen your tent since I left it!"

"I never mentioned how far away from it you are." He shrugged, then pushed himself off the branch. His feet stirred up

—_humid._ It dawned on Katara. She threw her hands up and wrenched water from the air, from every nearby plant – still not much – and bended it towards Zuko, aiming straight for his…

Zuko raised his hand and fire erupted along Katara's water, and, to her surprise, it evaporated. "How?" she asked dumbly, dropping her guard.

"My uncle taught me some things since we last met. Plus, you're in _my_ territory now." He gestured around them to the Fire Nation land, but he wasn't proud like he had been all the other times.

"Your territory? Weren't you banished?" Katara said icily, and she seemed to strike a nerve.

Zuko turned away, fists clenching and unclenching. "That's not important. Look. I don't want to have to force you to come along. If you haven't noticed, now _I'm_ on the run from June as well as you, so we might as well stick together. You won't last long, anyways."

"Thanks for the encouragement," Katara grumbled. "But still, no. Leave now and I won't hurt you. But make _one move_, and I will." She raised his blade till its tip was almost touching the space between his shoulder blades.

So fast that Katara barely had any time to react, Zuko spun and grabbed the painful end of the sword, jerking it sideways past his chest and out of her hand. He maneuvered it to the side; turned it so the hilt was up and the end of the blade was still in his fingers, then loosened his grip so that it fell downward until he caught it. Now grasping the handle of the dao sword, he spun it away from either of their faces then brought it back until it was touching the side of Katara's neck. She stiffened, eyes wide.

"Like I said," his voice rasped. "You won't last long." He let the blade drop to his side and turned away once more, without even telling Katara to follow. She did anyways, trailing about six paces behind him. He moved through the tall grass like a rat would the stalks of crops on an Earth Kingdom farm.

They both were silent, and the only noise besides the winged creatures flying over their heads was that of Zuko moving the grass out of the way. Katara tried to worry about her current situation, but her thoughts always led back to Aang and the others.

She hoped silently that Toph was simultaneously scamming people out of their money and staying out of trouble. That was the only way any of them could get their nutrition, their energy…what if Azula had followed Zuko to the island? What if in capturing Katara, Zuko had handed Aang to his sister?

_No, that's not right. I'm sure Zuko would know if Azula was around. He hates her as much as we do, _Katara thought. _He'd tell me. I've got no doubt that he'd tell me. _

So she decided to stay a little while longer, because Zuko was right: she couldn't protect herself, especially against June or Azula and her friends. Katara was a _master_ waterbender, and Zuko, who _wasn't_ a master firebender, had so easily gotten rid of her weapon. _The enemy of your enemy is not your friend,_ Katara remembered Master Pakku saying.

_Then what's he planning?_


	3. Hunters and Wanderers

3

"Guys," Toph whispered harshly across to the sleeping boys beside her. She could tell from the heat that it was about midday, but that wasn't why she was trying to wake them up. Toph had felt something _big – _aside from the slowly-moving feet that they were about to start tracking – uncomfortably close to their current place of residence.

The Avatar rolled over, mumbling to someone in his dreams: "That's not the right bucket. I need a bucket of aardvark sloths, not sparrowkeets."

It was Sokka who woke up right away. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, looking warily around the temple. They'd all slept near the fire again, in the hopes that Katara might show up.

Toph crawled over to him, giving Aang a solid kick in the face. As he woke up, she whispered, "Someone's here. Not _here, _here, but nearby."

"Who?" Sokka's voice was low and hoarse from sleep, but his eyes were definitely awake. He turned to stare at Aang, who was blinking slowly, and said, "I'm assuming we need to worry."

"How do you know someone's here?" asked Aang. "I know you can feel it and all, but where are they?"

Toph pointed to the right of her. The foreign thing that had woken her from sleep hadn't moved since, but there was little time in between those two moments and she didn't want to delay their chances of escaping whoever it was.

Sokka followed her finger and saw beyond – the ocean. "Great," he muttered. "Now we can definitely narrow down the options." He ran over the list of the usual suspects in his head – Zuko, Azula, the Dai Li, some Fire Nation fleet…their number of enemies with ships was rapidly growing.

"I was going to say we should get out of here," Toph said without a hint of sarcasm.

"What about Katara?" Aang asked, eyes suddenly blazing. "She's out there all alone! We can't just run off without her!"

Sokka sighed, and it was a tired sigh, like that of someone who'd had to make all the tough decisions in life. If Katara were there, she might've noticed how it resembled their father, but she wasn't around, so it didn't matter.

"Aang. Katara's not here. If she's being held somewhere, she's probably safer there, anyways. You know she'd want us to go without her, so we're going to have to_ go,"_ said Sokka, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I know you don't like it, but we have to. It's _you_ we need to protect, remember?"

"Yes," agreed Aang, after a brief silence. His shoulders drooped. "It just doesn't feel right, deciding to leave without her."

"We can still track down whoever was moving yesterday," Toph chimed in. She was pinching the ends of several strands of her hair and rubbing them in between her fingers, looking bored. "But we should leave before we find out who just docked at the edge of the island. I don't know about you two, but I really don't wanna have another confrontation with Prince Angst or Princess Crazy. Or both."

* * *

Zuko moved lithely through the tall plants like a wolf. He held his dao sword aloft even though there was no threat, and the hand that wasn't occupied with the blade was balled at his side; he raised it every now and then to rub at his neck.

Katara couldn't bear it any longer. "Zuko?" she asked, and her voice was an octave higher than she would've liked. The boy in front of her stiffened, halting his steps, and looked over his shoulder.

"What?" he asked.

"Am I supposed to be bait for Aang?"

"_What?"_ Instantly, his face took on the grouchy expression he wore so often.

"Don't play dumb, I've figured it out," Katara hissed back at him. "It's what every enemy of ours does whenever they capture one of the Avatar's friends."

"Y-You're not _bait_," said Zuko, fumbling for an explanation. He blushed at the sudden realization of how _stupid_ his plan actually was: Return Katara, safe and sound, to the Avatar, in the hopes that he'll agree to let Zuko join them in the fight against the Fire Lord, and as Aang's firebending teacher? He was probably just going to get drop-kicked away by the scary earthbender. "Not _exactly,"_ he added in a small voice.

"That's it? I'm 'not exactly' bait for Aang? Wow, Zuko. You really _do_ never give up." Katara put her hands on her hips and glared at Zuko, who had turned around to face her in full. She clenched and unclenched her teeth.

Zuko's blush, thankfully, went away. The embarrassment was placed with mild anger, both at himself for being such an idiot and for Katara's stubbornness. He groaned and said, "I'll figure it out."

"Figure _what _out?" Katara snapped, chasing after him as he turned and resumed walking. "That you're _never_ going to get away with Aang without us stopping you?"

Zuko remained silent, keeping his pace ahead of her. He wanted to explain himself, but he was afraid that any hopes he had of reasoning with the Avatar would be squished by Katara's big, sarcastic mouth.

Of course, he doubted it would work, but this way, he wouldn't have to deal with her, shooting down his plans over every moment it took for them to find Aang, her brother, and the earthbender. What was that phrase that Azula would always say whenever he wanted to join in on her playing with Mai and Ty Lee? _Ignorance is bliss._

Except that Katara didn't seem too blissful, right about now. She was rambling on, already shooting down the ideas she _thought_ Zuko had. Tuning her out, he took the final steps through the bushes, bending the last pieces of tall grass back and exposing the tent.

He'd stopped, and Katara almost ran face-first into his stupid, firebender back. She scowled and followed him towards his small campsite. There was, conveniently, a log placed next to where he'd made a fire pit; sitting on the log was a tea kettle with a single cup next to it.

"Your tea's cold," he mumbled, stooping to fetch her cup.

Watching him dump it out into a nearby bush, Katara felt oddly guilty all of a sudden. _What are you thinking?_ she thought, reprimanding herself. _He's tried on multiple occasions to capture Aang. And he's holding you hostage._ He's_ the one who should be harboring strange feelings of guilt._

Zuko's heart raced, and he realized that if Katara were to run, he'd actually have to chase her down and hold her in captivity. He prayed she'd cooperate, because he didn't exactly want to get blown around and pelted with boulders by her friends. A strange feeling – guilt? – came over him as he glanced over his shoulder at the waterbender.

Katara was standing near the tent, back facing him pointedly. He could tell that she was probably rolling her eyes, sighing and groaning, and frowning. It was what Mai did when she was cross with him. Also, Mai tapped her feet impatiently and crossed her arms.

_I'm going to stay just a bit longer. Just to figure out the whole of Zuko's…_plan._ Then I'm going to get away when he's least expecting it. That's what I'm going to do. I hate him,_ thought Katara over and over again. Her fists were balled against her crossed arms, and her heart was pounding with anticipation. At least this was better than worrying over—

_Aang._ What if he wasn't getting enough to eat? Was he practicing his bending motions? Maybe Toph was keeping him in check – no, she probably was just giving him several beatings in earthbending combat. Maybe Sokka was teaching him how to use a sword – that could be useful, right? But what if Aang accidentally cut himself? Or someone else? She knew she could rely on her brother to wrap a wound…

And then the worst thought: What if June had found Katara's friends and taken them to a Fire Nation prison, or Azula, or the Fire Lord? Katara sat down hard on the ground. She crossed her legs and held her head in her hands, trying not to freak out.

"Uh…um…is…is everything okay?" came Zuko's voice from behind her.

"Of _course_ not," she growled, seething. Spinning around, she stabbed a finger at him. "How can you even _ask_ me that? I'm being _held_ against my _will_ by one of our worst enemies, I've been missing for almost five days, and before _you_ came along, I was captured by the world's best bounty hunter!"

"I'm sorry," Zuko said before Katara got the chance to breathe and begin ranting again.

Her mouth fell into a delicate gape, and she stammered, trying to find something to say. Frowning and blinking rapidly, she said, "You're _sorry?_ If you were sorry, you'd let me go."

"It's not like that." Zuko threw his hands up. "I know I should explain, but I can't."

"Why not?" Katara's eyes blazed with anger, but she'd stopped shouting. "Why can't you tell me?"

* * *

Toph kicked gravel across the ground, leading Aang and Sokka away from any movement she could feel through the earth. She would change paths abruptly, causing the boys to almost drop some of the things they carried. Of course, they'd only taken what they _could_ carry.

"I miss the temple already," Sokka complained. "And Appa."

They'd left the flying bison, along with Momo the winged lemur, at the temple. It was risky, but Sokka had figured that traveling with a giant animal wouldn't get them very far, if the newcomers were enemies. So he and Aang had gathered plants to cover the bison, and Toph had crafted a very nice tunnel for their two furry friends right next to the temple.

"I miss _Katara_," moaned Aang, who was between his companions. He held his glider in one hand, and he fought to stay awake.

"Well, Twinkletoes, if you keep moving like that, you'll probably never see her again," muttered Toph.

Aang snapped into wariness and began to march alongside her. "Where are we even going?"

"Do I look like I know?"

"Sorry." He gazed up at the darkening sky. "It's been almost a week…"

"We'll find her, Aang. I promise," said Sokka, resting a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "She's my little sister. I know it always seems like she's older than me, but still."

"I wish _I_ had an older sibling," both Aang and Toph said in unison.

They set off.

* * *

Zuko floundered for words. Katara's glare was unwavering, and he suddenly felt a lot smaller and younger than he actually was. Ignoring the fact that she was indeed younger than him, he surrendered.

"Okay," he said. "I guess I can tell you." Already he was cringing; his previous thoughts of her criticizing his intentions came back, uninvited, into his mind. They swarmed around like scorpion bees, but he paid them no attention. "Sit down," he said, taking a seat at the very end of the single log.

Katara obeyed, sitting on the opposite side and putting as much distance between them as possible. "I knew you'd give in," she muttered, to which Zuko rolled his eyes. They both fidgeted for a moment before she said, "_Now,_ Zuko. Before I decide to hurt you."

"You can't hurt me, even if the moon is up." Zuko cleared his throat. "I…uh…"

"What is it, Zuko? For Tui's sake, spit it out," Katara snapped.

"I want to help you guys," Zuko spat, tongue almost getting ahead of the words. "I want to teach Aang firebending and I want to—"

"No." Katara's voice was cold and final. "Absolutely not. I knew there was something more to it, but _really, _Zuko? _Really?"_

"Just let me explain—"

"There's no need for an explanation further than that! There's no way Aang would ever accept you as his teacher and friend, and there'd be no decision for him to make because _I'd_ kill you before you even got within fifty—"

"I've _changed._ Ever since that night under Ba Sing Se—"

"_Oh._ Now you're bringing _Ba Sing Se_ up? I can't tell whether to hit you or to be impressed."

"Katara," Zuko warned, voice dropping dangerously low. "You said you wanted to know, so I'm telling you. Shut_ up."_

"_What?"_ Katara hissed.

The ex-prince took a deep, calming breath, and exhaled steam through his nose. The nighttime breeze moved the air towards Katara, and she shivered. The temperature was dropping, and the winds made it even cooler. "I'm sorry," he said. "I can't light a fire, or June might—"

"I _know."_

"I'd really like it if you'd stop interrupting me," Zuko grouched. He folded his hands in between his bent knees and began. "I guess I always knew that what I was doing was wrong. I'm not proud of it, but I thought I would be, and that was wrong, too."

Katara opened her mouth to say something snippy, but he raised a hand, cutting her off. "I know I deserve all the hatred I get, and I'll never be able to make up for it, but at least, can't I try?"

"What exactly are you saying?" Katara asked.

"I'm saying that I want to help you guys in defeating my family. Honor isn't so important to me anymore," he replied wearily. He hunched over, maybe because he was getting cold, or because he was cowering away from what Katara might say. Steeling himself, he straightened his posture and raised his chin.

"I want to teach firebending to Aang. And I want to stop my father. For the longest time, I thought that I should join him and Azula in hunting Aang and taking over the other nations. But now I know that the reason I was so hesitant isn't because I was weak, but rather because I knew it was _wrong._ And what you guys – you, your brother, the earthbender, and the Avatar – what you guys are doing is _right._ So I want to help. And I guess I'll need to convince _you_ first, since you're so passionate about not letting me near him."

"I'm not convinced."

"I gather that."

"Then why are you making me stay here? I need to go find Aang – are you planning on _following_ me to him?" Katara's voice raised; she gave Zuko an incredulous look.

"No!" Zuko said, once again raising his hands. He leaned towards her a little. "I'm not, I promise."

"Your promises are worth nothing," Katara snarled. Her fingers curled, like talons, into fists, and she threw him a tight-lipped smile. "And all _this_ is just a bunch of your usual lies. You're trying to get me to take you to Aang, so you can finish him off for good."

Zuko let the fact that he couldn't remember _ever_ promising her something, but he knew that lying was enough to tarnish the value of one's word; he'd learned that, like most things related to deception, from his sister.

"This is why I didn't want to tell you. I knew you wouldn't understand."

"And you think Aang _will?_" Katara's face grew more and more disbelieving.

Zuko slumped, rubbing his left forearm with his right hand. "He seems to be a lot more forgiving than you are."

"He's just a boy," Katara shot back. "He's naïve."

"Then what would it take to get you all to trust me?" Zuko's voice was pained, his face exasperated. He was tired and he was desperate, and it wasn't like he didn't understand why Katara felt the way she did about what he was trying to do – _he_ felt the same way, after all – but he wished it would be a little easier to make her see his point.

Zuko sat back and mirrored Katara in crossing his arms; he stared at her with a bleak expression. "Look. I know I'm not the most trustworthy guy around, and in fact, you have no reason to trust me at all. If I were you, I'd be having the same thoughts. But believe me when I say, _I want to help you."_

"How would I even know I could trust you around Aang?" she whispered haggardly. Her hands were folded in her lap, playing with her tunic. She wished she were home, where it was cold and she had her cozy anorak to cuddle up to. But here, she had to wear a sleeveless top that didn't even cover her stomach and pants. Here she had to wear the colors of the enemy.

"You can't. I understand that," Zuko said gently, like he was telling her that her beloved pet had died. He watched as the muscles in her throat worked; she swallowed hard before raising her eyes to his.

"I never will."

Zuko looked down and away, knowing that his suspicions had been correct. Katara wouldn't budge, so who knew how much harder it would be for him to persuade the Avatar without Katara backing him?

He fell deeper into his worries and almost missed what Katara said next. What he caught of it were the last few words, which didn't make sense at all. "Huh?" he asked, squinting up at her.

"I said you're taking me to find Aang. We're going. Right now." Katara's voice was harsh and dismissive, and he knew that this might be his only chance.

"O-Okay," Zuko stammered. "I'll just need to gather the, the tent and the blankets…" He gestured behind them.

"Do it," Katara ordered. As he stood up and walked away, Zuko wondered when his control of the situation had become hers.

* * *

Another pack of wolves, deadlier than Zuko, moved through the grass as he did; all the same, in such a simple motion, the family resemblance was obvious. It showed in the silky dark hair, the golden-brown eyes, the pale skin…even their bone structures – though different in the ways that one was male and the other female – were alike, were delicate yet fierce.

Strength was something they shared, as well. Courage, blood…there were so many similarities between the siblings who were as different as black and white, night and day; the usual opposites.

The absence of morality was visible, like rising smoke, in Azula's nighttime eyes. They smiled a thousand dangerous smiles; saw enough with both vision and intellect to make deductions.

And deductions are what led her to this place, where she was right now. They crept through the darkness of the night towards a valley on the island, and she spotted something. On closer inspection, her thoughts became reality.

She turned to her friends, grinning wickedly, and said, "Girls, we've found him." Moving aside so Mai and Ty Lee could see, she exposed what lay below, in the bowl of the valley; she showed them three small forms that moved through the grass like elephant rats. Two of them were short and one was bald: the Avatar.

* * *

Nyla's nose was to the ground, and he was sniffing vigorously. Crawling, he led his master down the path that the scent she had given him went. The scent had come in the form of a small, forgotten cup – one they had come across just moments ago.

June had picked it up and sniffed it, sighing in delight. "It's not exactly the same, and I suppose it's the nephew's fault, but even without Nyla's nose, I'd know Iroh's recipes anywhere."

Having given it to the shirshu, who'd immediately started tracking the scent, June, like Azula, was fabulous at making deductions. The pitiful man who'd fallen asleep at the job had said a boy had grabbed the Avatar's girlfriend, and he'd bore two long swords.

She'd heard the rumors of the Blue Spirit. _And_ she had heard Iroh boast about how good his nephew was with dao swords. June licked her lips and minced alongside her pet.

Nyla nipped at the air and growled here and there; June could tell they were getting close when the creature stopped making noises at all and focused solely on the hunt. The black streak that marked his back shone in the moonlight, and June motioned for her boys to stop the wagon, even though it made almost no sound.

They followed along behind her on foot, leaving one person behind to act as guard of their belongings. Coming to the edge of a small clearing, June peered out through the tall blades of grass and saw exactly what she had hoped to see: the girl and Iroh's nephew, exiting the clearing on the opposite side.

She turned to her fellow bounty hunters, smiling impishly, and said, "Boys, we've found them." Turning back to face the kids, she wondered vaguely how much bounty was placed on the Blue Spirit's head.


	4. The End of the Chase

Pain exploded above his arm, and Zuko's hand flew to his left shoulder. He pushed air out between his teeth, hissing quietly; he heard Katara jump in alarm and trot closer to him.

"Zuko?" she asked, and her voice was mildly panicked. "What is it?"

He waved her off, gently kneading the flesh of the healed stab wound with his knuckles. "It's nothing. Just…it hurts a little."

"Sorry," Katara said after a moment of staring at his arm. "The bruises and lacerations go away, but sometimes the pain remains."

"It's okay. It doesn't matter," replied the firebender. He straightened. "Hurry," he added. "I don't feel like spending all night waiting for you to catch up."

"Excuse me?" Katara's voice was incredulous. "You don't even know where my friends _are._ Don't tell me to hurry!" Nevertheless, she sped up; soon at Zuko's elbow.

"I didn't mean it like that," Zuko apologized, wincing. "I just meant that we should try to get there before it gets too dark."

Katara grumbled incoherently. They waded through the tall grasses yet again that day, but this time the sky was grayish-blue. Dusk shrouded the island like a veil, dusting fatigue and fireflies through the air. The sun was completely set.

"Although," the ex-prince continued quietly, "I wouldn't mind so much if you_ did_ hurry…" He sniggered a little at the end, but the sound was lost on her.

Katara just wanted to be with her _friends._ Scoffing and quickening her pace until she passed Zuko, she warned, "Be thankful I'm not kicking and screaming."

"Does that come later?" Zuko asked a little too innocently. Katara spun on him and opened her mouth for a retort, but then realized it was a joke. Turning away, she crossed her arms and did her best to ignore the single chuckle that came from him.

Katara scowled, looking up at the moon and wondering if _he_ knew which in direction they were heading, because _she_ certainly didn't. She found herself above asking.

"They're probably looking for you, too, you know." Zuko's voice was soft but clear, rasping like he'd inhaled a lifetime of smoke. With him being a firebender and all, that possibility wasn't too unrealistic to Katara.

"I guess," she replied half-heartedly. "Or June could've found them…" Her voice wavered a little, and she was shocked when Zuko put a hand on her shoulder – was he trying to comfort her?

"June isn't your biggest problem right this moment. Besides, I'm sure we'd hear about it," Zuko said, and somehow his voice was even quieter. It was nice, actually, after what seemed like years of Aang, Sokka, and Toph all talking so loudly (not that Katara didn't talk that way _herself)._ Zuko's calmness somehow dissipated the tension that was knotting in her chest.

Breathing a little clearer, Katara gave him a tentative smile. "Probably."

* * *

"Are you sure we haven't already been this way?" Sokka moved about, grabbing pieces of shrubbery and holding them in front of his face; he studied the bush and gave a victorious a-_ha!_ Ripping the leaves from their place on a fragile branch, he thrust the evidence towards Aang and Toph.

"I don't see it," said Aang, leaning closer to inspect the leaf. Sokka groaned and shoved it into his other companion's face.

"I don't see _anything,_" Toph grumbled. "Maybe if you rub it on the ground…"

"Okay, okay, sheesh," Sokka retorted, backing off. "I'm just not entirely sure we aren't going in circles."

"If we were going in circles, then I would _know,_ idiot." She stomped onward, towing the two boys behind her. "Besides, if getting away from whoever's here required going in circles, that's what we'd have to do."

"Right. Okay. Fine." Sokka mumbled something incoherent and fell into silence. He glanced at Aang, who looked like he was actually having a nice time, despite the circumstances.

Toph led on for quite some time. The sky darkened to the point where it was between twilight and night. Aang hummed here and there, and Toph would mention the presence of animals whenever they came close.

Suddenly, Toph stopped, raising her hands as if she was unbalanced; it filled the others with an awkward, deep sense of abnormality – Toph, who could move the earth to suit her needs, unbalanced? Never.

Toph quickly exterminated that theory. "Uh, guys," she said quietly, but with a strange quickness. She sounded almost…panicked. "We've got company."

"We _know_," Aang said just as softly. "That's why we're moving away, right?"

"No. You don't understand. They're coming from all directions."

The boys were silent for a moment. Then they said, in unison, "_What?"_

"Three groups. One's big, two are little. That's all I can tell. They're in, like, a _triangle_ around—"

"Aang," Sokka hissed, face becoming desperate. He grabbed the smaller boy by the shoulders. "Do you think you can fly us out of here?"

"Probably, but don't you think that they'd have things to bring us down?" Aang's eyes widened in alarm. He turned to Toph, who was frozen in place. "Make a wall. I'll help."

The girl nodded. Mirroring the Avatar's movements, she raised her arms, palms down, then closed her hands as if she were gripping something tightly. The earth responded, drawing up and forming a barrier between them and the oncoming parties.

* * *

Azula's laugh carried throughout the night air like the call of a raven eagle, although way more elegant. She eyed the wall of earth that had suddenly surrounded the trio. "So they know we're here," she murmured to no one in particular.

"Isn't this a little ridiculous?" said Mai in her usual tone of indifference. She was unfazed when the Fire Nation princess threw her a look. "Why didn't we just get them?"

"Because," purred Azula after a moment of considering. "If they were headed someplace, we would need to find out where and why. Now, of course, it doesn't look like they'll be going anywhere, so have at it."

Ty Lee sprung forward in a spiral of flipping limbs; Mai followed suit, producing knives from her sleeves. They ran at the mound of earth, but didn't reach it until after Azula shot a single fireball at it, setting it on fire.

The Avatar and his friends emerged from the earth, coughing and assuming defensive poses. The tall boy raised his sword, the airbender his staff, and the girl brought forth chunks of the ground.

"Did you really think _dirt_ could stop me?" Azula called, cackling wickedly. She was an anomaly; seemingly too pretty to play the role of the evil witch, but she was here, and she was attacking with vehemence.

The trio of girls approached their opponents, smug looks on their faces. This was a battle they were sure to win. Mai threw her deadly blades towards the Avatar, but he and his friends made quick work of them.

Aang raised his staff and spun it, creating a wall of wind that blew most of them away. Sokka deflected what he could of the knives with his sword, cursing as one grazed his left shoulder.

Toph raised her hands once more, unsettling the ground underneath the other girls' feet. Stumbling, Azula hissed, bringing up her own arms and spitting flames at the earthbender. With Aang's warning, Toph quickly drew up a wall to protect them from the fire.

"Silly little children," said the princess all too sweetly. "Didn't Mother warn you not to play in the mud?" She produced more flames in her palms. "You might get _dirty."_

The barrier went up in flames, and Sokka grabbed Toph away from the perilous heat just in time. "We've got no choice," he shouted to Aang. "_Run!"_

They spun and ran, sprinting as fast as they could, but it was no use. Azula and her friends descended on them like the venomous wolves they were, like fire licking at their heels. Ty Lee grabbed Toph's foot and hit all the right points, temporarily paralyzing the blind girl.

Toph made a noise of horror at her new state, but was suddenly relieved of the circus freak's weight as Sokka shoved her off of his friend; she hit a nearby rock and fell unconscious. "Toph!" he shouted frantically. "Are you hurt?"

"Just experiencing a slight case of paralysis," Toph called back to him weakly. She gave a shaky laugh. "Help _Aang._"

Sokka turned and saw Aang spin his glider again, knocking Azula and Mai on their rear ends for what must've been the eighth time. Running over, he raised his arms to stab at the girl whose face was a literal mask, but Mai moved out of his range, rolling into a crouching position.

"Come _on,_" Sokka groaned, mocking her and pretending to drop his guard. He gestured to Azula. "Didn't _your_ mother tell you not to play with fire?"

Mai snarled and flung a knife at him; Sokka maneuvered his torso just out of its reach. She jumped towards him, but he feinted to the left, eyeing her hands, which were formed into the shape of talons.

"Don't forget, there are _two _of us," said the wickedly mad girl next to him. Azula chopped her hand into the side of his neck, but the attempt was weakened by him flinching away from her.

Aang brought a huge cylinder of earth up around the princess, and squeezing his fingers together, closed it. He bent what little water he could out of the nearby plant life and froze it; flinging it at Mai, he hit her smartly on the back of the head. However, like Azula, Mai was momentarily put off.

The two sprung up from and out of the earth, twisting around each other in a move that almost looked choreographed, and then Azula was shooting spiraling ropes of flame at the two boys while Mai charged them.

Aang focused, concentrating his bending skills into one fluid motion: taking the ice off of the ground as well as some of the earth itself, he blew it forward into their faces.

Azula spat mud, a disgusted expression on her face; wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she said, "_That's_ new."

"But your dirty mouth _isn't_," Sokka retorted.

* * *

Zuko and Katara were headed in the opposite direction of the explosion when it happened. Instinctively falling to the ground, they raised their heads to look over their shoulders, and then at each other.

"Aang," Katara breathed. The two were on their feet and running towards the place of the boom when another one sounded. This time they were sent flying backwards as the earth quaked beneath them.

They'd made it to a small clearing, and, disguised with the darkness, they peered out and saw Azula and Mai going after Sokka and Aang.

"Where's…?" Zuko inquired, but then the subject of his question sprang up next to Sokka as if from nowhere, jabbing two of her fingers into multiple places on his body; he fell down with a garbled _argh!_ and Ty Lee, along with the two other girls, formed a triangle around Aang.

The boy was brave, Zuko had to admit. He raised his arms, ready to blow them all away. Katara lurched forward, her breath catching in her throat, but Zuko caught her arm.

"No," he said. "We can't win this."

She yanked her arm out of his grasp and snarled, "What are you _talking_ about? Azula's going to capture Aang!"

"I know," Zuko said, and his tone was pained. "But we have to stay here."

"I _knew it,"_ Katara snarled, her desperate voice screeching. "You _are_ trying to hurt Aang!"

"That's not it," Zuko said a little too calmly, keeping his hold on her. "Just _trust _me."

"You lied to me! I will never, in all my _life_, _trust_ you!" Katara cried; as a last resort, she wrenched her arm out of his grasp and attempted to claw his face with her nails.

Zuko blocked her simple attack. With years of playing with Azula and Mai in the gardens of his former home, he'd learned how to avoid the wrath of a girl with long fingernails.

Katara's eyes widened as, in the distance, she saw Azula approach Aang. Knowing that Aang wouldn't dare tremble in front of his enemy, Katara prayed that she could do something fast enough – bend water out of the surrounding trees fast enough – but Zuko's hold on her was firm.

* * *

"Well, well, well," Azula said, her voice making it obvious that she was having too much fun. "What do a Fire Nation princess, an gymnast, and the daughter of the governor of New Ozai all have in common? The answer, besides_ friendship and nationality,_ of course, is _capturing the Avatar._" Her voice lilted. Like lightning, Azula struck.

* * *

Katara opened her mouth to cry out to her friends, _for_ her friends as Azula's hand met the side of Aang's head, but Zuko clapped _his _hand over the bottom half of Katara's face. Ignoring when she bit him, he wrapped an arm around her torso, pinning her arms to her sides.

She struggled against him as if that was her only purpose, but he was far beyond her in physical strength.

"I'm sorry," he said brokenly as he met her venomous eyes. "But you're not listening."

As soon as Azula and her friends were far enough in the distance, Zuko let his hold on Katara's mouth slip. She gave him a good elbow to the place just below his ribs – it _hurt –_ but his arm remained locked around her.

Katara tried to pry herself away from Zuko. "We _have_ to rescue Aang!" she spat.

"We _will,"_ growled Zuko, struggling to keep hold of her. "They're not going to _kill_ him. It's my _sister, _I _know _this. And trust me, it'll be easier to let them be captured and _then_ rescue them than it would be to let Azula know we're _here."_

"I don't care!" Katara struggled fruitlessly in his arms, but he still held on tight.

"_Katara._ We _can't_ stop this. If your friends have _any_ hope of getting away from her, it will be more possible if you and I weren't imprisoned alongside them." He winced as her head knocked into his jaw, but the guilt that overtook him as he watched her squirming was worse than the pain. "_Trust_ me," he begged, lowering his head until it almost looked like he was hugging her.

"Aww, how cute," said a sickly-sweet voice from behind the pair. Flinching and turning to face the newcomer, their eyes widened in horror at the sight.

June.


	5. In Chains

_**Author's Note:**_ _Omg sorry guys if you think I update too quickly, ahh there's just like nothing for me to do during the day so I write. I'll try to update Ghost, Vexed, and Partners in Prague before I update this againnn. 3 Thank you all for reading, and make sure to leave a review :D (Don't worry; It's soon going to be mostly Zuko and Katara instead of all these other people.)_

* * *

June was grinning widely and lovingly rubbing the nose of her pet shirshu. In her right hand she held one of the cups from Zuko's set. "Nyla was a good boy. But _you_," she purred, pointing one of her long fingernails at Zuko, "are _not._ I mean really, what kind of good boy leaves his toys out after playtime?" She wagged the cup in Zuko's face before dropping it into his lap.

Zuko and Katara raised their arms to prepare for a fight. Flames went flying towards the bounty hunter before them; Katara bent any nearby water that she could gather into ice shards.  
June danced away with a mildly surprised expression on her face. "That's not very nice," she mock-chastised. She motioned for her cronies to back away from the benders. "Nyla."

The shirshu came forward with a deadly snarl; Zuko moved to strike it down with more flame, but the animal was too fast. Its tongue shot out, covering the ex-prince with its paralyzing saliva.

"Katara," Zuko warned, but even as she bent the fluid off of him, June's animal took her down as well.

Falling uselessly to the ground beside the firebender, Katara growled at the hunters surrounding them.

June moved forward, taking hold of Katara's elbows - making sure to avoid the shirshu's saliva - and ordered the others to grab hold of Zuko.

He snarled steam, but, unlike his uncle and probably his father, he could not produce flame. The bounty hunters laughed as if they were brushing off a child, hauling the pair into the cart as soon as they reached it.

Gracelessly slumping against each other as the wagon began to move, Katara and Zuko grunted in contempt. Their paralysis was replaced with chains different than the ones Katara had previously worn.

Zuko tried his best to melt the chains, to no avail; Katara had the same outcome as she tried to freeze the chains in order to break them.

"If they haven't killed us yet, then they're probably going to sell us to someone," Zuko whispered to Katara when the hunters were out of earshot. "That means someone's placed a bounty on either or both of us."

"What good will _that_ do?" Katara hissed back. She was arched away from him, attempting to put more space between them. Zuko realized she still thought he was in on this somehow.

"That means they'll have to _feed_ us," he pointed out. "They'll have to give us something to _drink_."

Katara's eyes widened as she realized what he was suggesting. "Where would we keep it?" she asked, glancing around the small area that they were currently shoved into.

"I haven't figured that out yet," Zuko grumbled. "Now be quiet; someone is coming."  
"Don't tell me what to-"

"Now, now, kids. Settle down," said June as she lifted the fabric that was both the door and roof of the wagon. "We need to have a talk."

At once, Zuko exhaled steam and smoke directly into the woman's face. She made a disgusted noise and waved her hand around until her vision was clear again.

"At least your breath doesn't stink," she muttered.

Katara had an idea.

* * *

Aang woke to the sound of muffled shouts. He couldn't see much, although he was certain that he was not blindfolded. Peering into the darkness surrounding him, he saw blurry shapes. His eyes adjusted and those shapes formed into the figures of Sokka and Toph – the yells were coming from _them. _Instantly, Aang came into full consciousness. Sounds flooded into his ears; he realized that he and both of his friends had been gagged; tied to posts. Talk about old-fashioned.

Eyes searching the room for clues of their whereabouts, Aang recognized the Fire Nation emblem carved intricately into the wall in front of him. As if to confirm his suspicions, two torches were flaming on either side of the crest, hooked to the wall by what looked like lantern holders.

To the right of the Avatar, Toph's feet pounded the floor and she struggled to move; when Aang tried to crawl towards her, the chains that held his hands behind his back strained, and pain spiked up his arms. He groaned.

Looking to his left, Aang saw Sokka. The older boy was slumped against his post. His sharp eyes were open and intense; fixed on a single point in front of him. Aang followed Sokka's gaze, but found that the source of his friend's focus was in Sokka's head.

"Serkhh," Aang tried to say. Fortunately, the other boy recognized his name, garbled as it was, and turned to stare at the airbender. Aang saw in Sokka's eyes a disorienting sadness; Sokka looked far beyond what the word 'devastated' could imply. However, there was also a fierce determination in those blue eyes, and Aang new that even if they couldn't get out of this exact predicament right this moment, they'd be moved somewhere else soon.

Since that was the case, what was left to do but wait? Aang closed his eyes and concentrated on one of the skills the monks had taught him – meditation. Just because he would have to wait a while didn't mean he had to be impatient about it.

* * *

Soon after June left, the wagon started to move again, and Zuko began to think up a plan. Maybe the woman kept checking in on them to throw them off their guard, but it was doing little damage. She'd only wanted to talk about the 'rules', which basically were threats to Katara and Zuko's lives should they try any funny business; thus, Zuko figured he should wreak some havoc. Eventually, an idea formed in his mind, and he smiled triumphantly.

All Zuko needed was to concentrate. The lack of resources or free limbs didn't matter when it came to this. He growled and exhaled at the same time, then did it again, and again. Although Katara couldn't see what he was doing, the sounds he was making were enough alone to get on her already-fried nerves.

She decided to ignore it at first, hoping it would end soon, but instead, it pressed on. With each breath, Zuko's grunting got louder and more intense. Finally, Katara's patience burnt out.

"Are you seizing or trying to impersonate a pig?" she asked through her teeth.

"Not now. I'm busy," he said, and his voice was just as strained. The noises started up again and Katara groaned, exaggerating the sound to make sure he was aware of her annoyance. She gave a little huff when he didn't stop.

Closing her eyes, she tried to think of ways to escape. Tuning Zuko out, she thought, _Well, it looks like _he's_ not going to be much help. But I figured as much anyways. _Suddenly, the lighting in the wagon changed briefly, and Katara's eyes flew back open.

"What…?" she began, but before she could finish her question, Zuko gave a delighted laugh, like a child receiving a new toy. He then remembered Katara was still next to him and quieted down.

Trying to turn herself around so she could look at him – it wasn't easy; their backs were facing each other, and every time the traveling cart hit a bump in the road (which was quite often), one of them would accidentally squish the other.

To prove that, there was a sudden and massive bout of turbulence; Zuko went careening backwards into Katara. He floundered to sit up, but then they were thrown down again.

"What are you _doing_?" she asked after being relieved of his weight. The older boy coughed a little and righted himself, and soon she was able to sit up straight as well.

"I'm perfecting a master firebending technique," Zuko informed her. "My uncle tried to teach it to me once, but I wasn't ready then. Now that I've learned everything from him, I can train myself to do it."

Katara snorted and said dismissively, "You're not a master firebender."

He managed to turn until his right side was flush with her left. "Oh yeah?" he asked, and she was a little worried of how amused he sounded. Scowling at him out of the corner of her eye, she saw that his face was as pleased as the laugh that he had emitted earlier.

She opened her mouth to retort, but then _his_ mouth opened and a stream of fire came from it. Katara shrieked and made to get away from it; however her bonds only let her go so far.

The flame vanished, and Zuko chuckled. "Told you."

Katara blew a strand of her brown hair away from her face. "That's impressive," she said testily, gritting her teeth. "But your sister can do far worse. Obviously, _she's_ the master firebender."

Zuko's mood darkened. "Azula is just a prodigy. And evil."

"_You're_ evil too," Katara shot back. Before he could deny it, she went on: "Can _you_ do that creepy lightning thing that your sister did in Ba Sing Se?"

The prince's head bowed a little. "Yes," he admitted softly. "But I'm not as comfortable in using it as she is."

Katara was silent for a moment; a small bottle rolled from one side of the wagon to the other as they went over what felt like a million boulders. Her eyes widened with hope, but that hope was crushed when she saw that the bottle was empty.

"Don't you think that a master firebender should be comfortable using lighting?" Katara questioned. Her eyebrows pinched together in frustration, but she didn't feel bad about taking it out on the abomination that sat next to her. She still hated him just as much as before; more so now that he'd betrayed her when she hadn't even given him her trust.

"I don't think _you_ have the right to decide who's a master firebender and who _isn't_, Waterbender," Zuko spat, suddenly furious.

"At least I _know_ a master bender when I _see _one," Katara proclaimed.

Their argument was interrupted when the cart stopped abruptly. They tensed, ears perked for signs of what was going on outside.

_Please, please, _please_ don't have taken us to Azula_, Zuko prayed. Thankfully, the only reason they'd stopped was to set up camp for the night. He snapped out of his stupor, realizing that Katara was trying to get his attention. "What?" he asked.

"I _said," _Katara huffed, "that if you can, you know, generate enough steam with your breath, maybe I can bend the water out of it and use it as a defense." She'd decided that he could be useful in her escape after all.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Zuko noticed that she was suddenly all for teaming up with him. Suspicious, he said, "You're not going to try and leave me here as soon as you're free, are you?"

After a very long pause in which Katara thought over all their options, the waterbender sighed in defeat. "I don't trust you," she began slowly. "I'm not ever going to trust you. Especially after tonight. But…I need to get out of here. And I'm sure you don't plan on staying either, with the way you're talking. So…I guess my only hope for escaping June and getting to Aang is you."

Zuko stared at her. "Does that mean you'll actually listen to me when I say something?"

"Maybe," Katara breathed, squinting at him. "This is very risky."

"I won't make you regret it," he reassured her. "I really do want to help you guys. Believe it or not, I don't think I can make it out of here without your help, either."

Suddenly, Katara's worries about Aang and where he was at the moment boiled over, and she began to cry. Turning her face away from him, she tried to wipe her leaking eyes on her shoulder, but all that she accomplished was getting her hair stuck to her cheek.

Zuko turned Fire Nation red. Why in the world was the waterbender crying? He wasn't sure whether he should comment or not, so he just ducked his head politely.

When it became apparent that Katara wasn't going to say anything either, Zuko decided to speak up. "Um," he began awkwardly. "D-Don't…don't _cry."_

Katara sniffled, finally succeeding in wiping her face clean. "Okay. Sorry," she said in a small voice. She kept sniffling, and to Zuko that was somehow worse. For some reason, he had the notion to put a comforting arm around the girl, but his hands were restricted from doing so by the chains that bound him. It was a bad idea anyway, so he just sat next to her, saying nothing.

Eventually, Katara's sniffling ceased.

Just in time for the screech of some bird to pierce both of their ears. Flinching, Zuko raised his head. "That's a messenger hawk," he stated.

"For June?" Katara asked. Zuko scooted himself over to the entrance to the wagon, but failed to see outside; it was too dark.

Suddenly, a light appeared outside, and the bounty hunter's head poked through the flaps, almost knocking into Zuko's. The firebender scuttled away, scowling, but June didn't seem to notice.

Instead, she smiled a cheeky grin. "Change of plans," she informed them. "Actually, change of _bidder._" With that, she dropped the flap and disappeared; Zuko and Katara waited until the light from her lantern vanished to speak.

"That was…sudden," Katara breathed after a moment. "She came all the way just to tell us _that?_ What does she even mean by 'change of bitter'? Is her tea not sweet enough or something?"

"No, she said 'bidder'," Zuko corrected. He thought of all the new bidders that could be placing bounties on his and Katara's heads. "I don't know who it is. All I know is that I _don't_ want to find out."

* * *

Far away in a deserted tea shop, located in the Earth Kingdom city of Ba Sing Se, a man named Iroh sat alone at a table with a half-played game of Pai Sho in front of him. He sipped his favorite lavender tea from a small cup and smiled, content.

Someone walked by and inconspicuously dropped a scroll onto his table; he calmly unfurled it and began to read.


	6. By the Morning

"But what was normal in the evening, by the morning seems insane. **'Cause what is simple in the moonlight, by the morning never is.** What's so simple in the moonlight, now is so complicated…What's so simple in the moonlight, so simple in the moonlight…" ~ Bright Eyes, "Lua"

* * *

Two more days passed, and Katara and Zuko were hardly let out of the hunters' sight. They were given food and water, and June let them take what she called 'potty stops' as long as there was a crony to escort either of the two. Katara told Zuko of her plan for a water resource: she would bend water from the cups of it that June and her men provided, and the steam that Zuko could create.

"No, take it from mine," Zuko countered softly when the waterbender informed him that she'd be hoarding from her own cup. "It's no use if you're dehydrated."

Katara had quirked a sarcastic eyebrow. "I'll be fine. I just need you to stop doing that fire-breathing trick and make steam." The older boy obliged, exhaling quietly through his nose. It took a while for Katara to get into the right position to bend it from the air; seeing how her hands were tied, it proved a difficult task, but she got it done.

They had managed to stop the rolling bottle (which had been obnoxiously banging around until then) and secure it behind them; Zuko had figured that they should have their weapon nearby just in case. Either June was very good at hiding any suspicion she might develop of the two, or she didn't suspect anything at all. The captives hoped for the best, and luckily, neither June nor any of her crew found the bottle.

On the night of the second day, the sound of June approaching caused Zuko to turn abruptly to Katara. They'd been sitting in silence, tired from the lack of excitement, if that was even possible. But Zuko's eyes flared with the birth of an idea, and Katara found herself listening eagerly.

"We can escape tonight. Follow my lead, okay?" he whispered, and his breath was hot against her cheek. "Just go with it."

Katara nodded once, then turned away so June would think she was giving him the silent treatment. The bounty hunter lifted the wagon's flap, and she sat once again in the wagon.

The words June spoke and her tone of voice made it clear she was hiding something; not that Zuko and Katara expected her to be spilling her guts to them. Pressing against each other as best they could, they concealed the now-full bottle of water.

Katara could barely understand the sentences that June's supple mouth was forming. She was alive with anticipation, waiting for Zuko to say something to the woman in return. _Follow my lead._ Was he about to spring upward and shower June in fiery sparks?

Her mind trailed off down that track. The thought of Zuko with his arms raised and palms shedding flame, hair blowing away from his pale forehead in the intensity of the moment…Blushing, Katara shook her head furiously, banishing the image.

"Problem, sweetie?" came a sarcastic voice, and Katara dropped the remaining bits of her stupor.

"What?" she responded, looking awkwardly at June; the hunter's left eyebrow was raised in suspicion.

Zuko glanced at Katara sharply, arranging his features so that she knew to lie. He had no idea what she'd been zoned out over for the past couple moments, but he felt it had to do with the Avatar. She caught sight of his stare out of the corner of her eye and swallowed before saying, "Nothing. I, uh, I just thought I there was a bug in my hair. What were you saying?"

He wanted to slap his forehead in exasperation as June replied, "I wasn't saying _anything_." Shooting Katara another look, he asked the woman across from them if she _was_ going to say anything.

"Obviously, _Katara_ isn't very good company," he added, packing coldness into his voice. He glared at the girl next to him, and thankfully, she glared right back.

"Excuse me? At least I _smell_ better than you do, I mean what, did you roll around in a swamp before 'rescuing' me? By the way, nice job on _that_," she commented, yanking her hands apart so that her chains rattled for emphasis.

"Maybe if you hadn't been so _slow,_ we might've actually gotten away!"

"Like I'd want to go anywhere with _you,"_ Katara shot back through clenched teeth. She stared him down, and was a little thrown by the fierceness in his eyes. This was what he meant when he told her to go with it, right? She hoped so; contrary to probably _anyone's_ belief, she would rather not fight with the older boy.

The thought that had entered her mind uninvited before sprung back up, and she shooed away the sight of Zuko hovering over a cowering June, palms blazing, eyes blazing, with a passionate smirk on his princely face.

But that face was currently sneering just a few inches from hers, and she scowled at him in return. He was either not faking it or being very believable – she supposed the latter; his life was made up of lies – and she had to do the same, if she wanted to get away tonight.

"I know you don't want to go anywhere with me. Just like I don't want to be anywhere _near_ you, you uptight _shrew._" He scooted around until he was facing her fully, and she bit back the shout that her lungs wanted to emit.

Instead, she spoke softly and harshly. "Then why were you so intent on dragging me along with you? Surely not for my dread _company._"

"If I wanted company, I could find it in a pebble and it'd still be better than you!"

"Well, with the likes of _you_ around, who knows what other _unpleasant_ things are in this nation? Forget company, I want to go _home."_ Katara suddenly realized just how true that last statement was. All she wanted was her brother, Aang, and her father (and maybe Toph, too, although the earthbender would have a hard time walking barefoot on the ice of the South Pole), all together, in jubilation.

"The Fire Nation is far more civilized than your people could ever hope to be," Zuko spat back, and he was so close that she could almost taste the steam on his breath.

"Civilized?" she repeated, voice rising to an almost-screech. "Since I have been here, I have only met _rude,_ inhospitable people. The Water Tribes would _never_ turn away a guest in need—"

"Your people are so painstakingly naïve—"

"_Your_ people _killed_ my _mother!"_ Katara's yell ripped through her throat, and she tasted the coppery flavor of blood.

"Stop with the mommy issues! _My mom_ is gone _too,_ you know!" Zuko shouted right back, and Katara was once again thrown off by him; she saw the honest expression that took over his face when he said it, and she instantly regretted going there, but not enough to forget her _own_ mother.

"At least _your_ mother wasn't _murdered _in an invasion of Fire Nation soldiers!"

"You're _right!_ _I guess it was my father who did away with her, wasn't it?"_

Zuko panted, growling steam, and Katara paled. She swallowed and opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come. What was this, that she was feeling right now? Empathy? Compassion? Understanding?

Whatever it was, her heart _hurt_. If her father had…if _he'd_ been the one who…But no. Zuko's relationship with his father wasn't the same as Katara had with hers. She remained silent, lowering her eyes and trying her best to give the boy next to her some space without physically moving away.

"Sages," June cursed, throwing her hands up. "I'm getting out of here before you get in a match to the death. They said I couldn't kill you, but they never said I had to babysit you so you two didn't kill _each other_. Have at it, kids." She exited the wagon with a snicker.

Moments passed. Katara waited to see light flare up outside the wagon, in the hopes that June and her cronies would set up a fire, but none came; probably due to the fact that there was a firebender not fifteen paces away.

It was almost pitch black, except for what moonlight shone through the small holes in the top of the fabric ceiling. Moonbeams fell across Zuko's bowed head, and Katara began to think he'd fallen asleep.

Tentatively, she whispered, "Zuko…"

He cut her off with a sharp movement; turning away from her, Zuko stared sternly at the floor. "I don't want to talk…about it. Leave me alone," he ordered, and for once, Katara obeyed.

* * *

It wasn't like she hadn't done her job. Actually, she'd done her job well enough that it had driven June off, just like Zuko planned. So why did she feel so upset? Had she known better, she would've said that she felt guilty.

But she was awake and Zuko was lying asleep next to her, curled into a ball that looked too much like he was trying to defend himself in his sleep. As she glanced at him over and over again, Katara's thoughts always led back to what he had said earlier, about his father.

Suddenly aware that she was grieving for Zuko, she realized that his life hadn't been as easy as hers; not before Aang, at least. The signs of it were written on his face – literally. The scarred side of Zuko's face was pressed to the ground as he huddled on his side, but she knew that there must've been more than just an explanation behind it.

Katara didn't really feel like sleeping, but she moved so that she could lie down as comfortable as was possible. The cart was cramped, but there was enough space for her to stretch her legs out, so she did. She faced Zuko's unconscious form quietly, studying the way he hugged himself even though it was particularly hot that night.

Abruptly, Zuko grunted in his slumber and turned over, rolling closer to the waterbender next to him. Stifling a squeak, she froze in place, as if a simple breath would wake him up. He had shifted out of the moonbeams; now it was so dark that she could only make out his silhouette.

All of Katara's mixed feelings about their kind-of staged fight reentered her mind as she stared in horror at the boy next to her. Even though he'd told her he didn't want to talk about it, she'd felt that she had to say something – not in apology, but perhaps, condolence? Her eyes were fixed on him.

Adjusting her position ever so quietly, she tried to avoid Zuko as he yet again turned and rolled towards her. This time, though, she didn't have as much space as she'd thought, and the sleeping Zuko tumbled straight into her, knocking his head with hers.

Choking back a yelp, Katara squeezed her eyes shut and rode out the spiky pain. Hearing Zuko begin to say something, she blindly reached out, hoping to silence him. She hit her mark with a hand clapping to his mouth, and shushed him softly as she slowly drew her hand away.

"What's going on?" he whispered, sitting up as silently as he could. "Why didn't you wake me? We need to go!"

"I was letting you sleep!" Katara hissed back, leaning up as well. "Sorry! You told me not to talk to you, so I didn't, and then you were sleeping, so I just figured I should let you rest!"

"Don't make that mistake again," said Zuko shortly. "Now come on."

Katara gave a magnificent, muted huff. Looking over her shoulder and concentrating on the bottle of water that they'd so efficiently stashed; she wrung her hands and wiggled her fingers until she was able to bend the liquid out of the glass.

Praying that the sound of the ice breaking the chains wouldn't make a sound, Katara did her own set first. The noise wasn't too bad, although it could've been quieter. She was just thankful that breaking the chains was that easy. Hadn't June learned anything the first time?

She set to work on Zuko's cuffs, musing about how she might've just left him there before. Now, though, she knew just how much help she needed in order to rescue Aang, and just how much the firebending prince could help her.

Zuko winced when the ice touched his hot skin, but said nothing. He felt like he'd come off too curt with Katara, but what was done was done, and they had bigger worries at the moment.

Katara carried the bottle so that she could transport the water more conveniently. Neither of the two mentioned the irking feeling that this was just _too_ easy; that there must've been some flaw in their plan. Surely June had to have figured they'd try to escape again, so where were the guards sitting directly outside the wagon? Where was the final line of defense?

The answer, of course, presented itself as they slipped out of the wagon; presented itself in the large, brown, furry form of Nyla, the shirshu; sleeping in the moonlight just beyond the wagon.

Upon seeing the creature, Zuko halted his motion, and Katara strode blindly into his tense, lightly muscled back. Knowing better than to gnash her teeth and say he'd better not be making a habit out of doing that, she looked over his shoulder and took in a sharp breath.

Thoughts, ideas, plans formed in both their heads as they began to tiptoe around the beast. Ice, if broken, might make a ton of noise; fire would be enough light to wake the hunters, who were all sleeping only ten paces away – even the ones who were supposed to be keeping watch.

Katara held back a snicker at the irony of it, and reveled in the fact that they'd probably lose their jobs when morning came.

The pair had almost completely circled around Nyla when he stirred; Katara quickly ducked behind the nearest bush, reaching to grab hold of the tail end of Zuko's shirt so she could pull him to safety as well, but was horrified to realize that her hand only grasped at air.

Remaining quiet, she waved her arms furiously, trying to get the older boy's attention, but like all the boys that she encountered these days, he was completely oblivious. Slapping a hand – silently – to her forehead, Katara waited to hear the sound of Zuko's paralyzed body falling to the ground. Their hope was gone, and the cover of the night that once shielded the two had vanished.

Well, she'd thought it did. But Katara didn't hear anything at all – what if Zuko had abandoned her and left her for the shirshu? She gulped, remembering the disgusting feeling of Nyla's saliva sliding down her bare flesh; dripping onto her feet and in between her toes…

"Katara," whispered a voice that was sudden and _way_ too close to her. She started, heart leaping into a gallop, even as Zuko's warm hand cupped her shoulder in reassurance. Staring up against the moonlight, Katara could make out his angled features; the long, elegant shape of his nose, and the pale, pale skin that seemed to glow underneath the stars.

His hand against the skin of her shoulder was oddly soothing, and her heart slowed down considerably, but was replaced with a new type of hammering.

Laced with the usual bitterness that she felt towards the firebender was something that tickled the bottom of her lungs, hung in the back of her throat…and, as she moved out from underneath that suddenly heavy hand, she glanced up at his face and realized what this feeling was.

_Nausea. _

"We have to get _out_ of here," she divulged, slinking away from his hand. "How do we get past…?"

"Already taken care of," he replied in a strange voice, as if he was trying to sound cheerful. Backing up a couple steps and out from behind the tall bush, he pointed to his right, and Katara's eyes followed. There, to her disbelief, was a once-again sleeping shirshu.

"How did you—" she began a little too loudly.

"_Shh,_" Zuko hissed, grabbing her elbow and ducking back behind their bush. When no sign of awakened bounty hunters came their way, he dropped Katara's arm and motioned for her to stay where she was.

"Where are you going?" she whisper-shouted to him as he paced away; spinning, he gave her a venomous look, and she could almost hear his voice say _shut up_.

Within moments, Zuko returned to Katara, carrying his Blue Spirit mask, his dao swords, and a tea kettle. Katara harrumphed and followed him away from the campsite. The two coalesced silently into the darkness, melting in with its black and gray and blue shadows.

* * *

Zuko didn't know how long they had been walking, or even which direction they were heading. He just knew that Katara was behind him, placing her feet in his taciturn footsteps. In the dark, they moved as one, and although the journey was far yet from over, they decided – as one – to stop; to sleep.

"We're going to have to keep watch," he said, lumbering towards a tree. His voice was low and lazy; tired. But even though, he continued, "You should try to sleep. They could be following us right now."

Katara fidgeted in place for a second, then wandered over to the tree beside the firebender. "Saying that won't exactly promote sleep," she muttered. "I'm not that tired, actually."

He turned to look at her and she was suddenly uncomfortable. Glancing away, she cleared her throat, searching for something more to say. The silence stretched out, and Zuko seemed to doze off while standing in front of her.

His eyelids drooped and his shoulders sagged, and sleep began to take over his protesting brain. He zoned out and probably could've stayed like that, but was called back to consciousness when Katara saw fit to wave her hand in front of his face, hissing, "_Zuko. _For the love of Tui and La, lay _down."_

Obeying, he leaned against the tree and slid until he was sitting, then closed his eyes once more. Peeking once up at Katara, he smirked slightly when he saw her expression; it was that of someone who felt very awkward.

Soon he was fast asleep, and Katara sat down nearby. Picking idly at the bottoms of her so-called loopies, she elected to braid her hair. Taking the rest of it out of its clip on the top of her head, she let her hair fall around her bare shoulders.

In the night, her hair looked the same color as Zuko's, but it wasn't as easily managed. Combing through it with her fingers, she worked a few sections away from the rest of the bunch and began braiding it across her scalp, like Yue had taught her to do once.

Staring up at the moon, she felt the princess's presence in the moonbeams that bathed her face in blue light. Her thoughts turned to Sokka, and then to Aang, but she refused to let herself worry more than she already did.

Glancing to the right of her, she studied Zuko's sleeping form, which was black except for the splotches of gray and white that were his arms and face. He had fallen once again into the curled-up position and his hair covered his neck in what looked like liquid tendrils.

Any apprehension that Katara had been feeling vanished with the sight of him, even though he was, partially, the cause of it. She didn't exactly feel secure, now, but her anxiety was lacking. She felt as if a boulder had rolled over in her chest with that revelation, and a line of puzzlement appeared between her eyebrows.

How was she not nervous in his presence? Was it the fact that he hadn't harmed her yet, or that he was sleeping? She finished braiding her hair and let it drop from her hands as she crossed her arms, feeling very confused. _Maybe it's because the threat's disappeared,_ she mused, and at once became even more perplexed with the realization that it was true.

Thinking of how often he caught her off guard, Katara peeked at him once more. "You…_disarm _me," she murmured to the dormant prince. Then, she remembered just days earlier, when he'd both made her bending water evaporate and yanked his own sword right out of her defensive hands. "Literally," she added.

* * *

The night cooled, and Zuko woke just before the dawn.

"You were supposed to wake me up," he said, and the remnants of sleep danced in his throat, making his voice husky and low. He rubbed his head and then his eyes, turning to study Katara as she stood and dusted herself off.

"Yeah, well, I forgot," she lied. Having seen Zuko sleeping so peacefully, she had felt incredibly guilty about waking him, so she didn't. In fact, she had stayed awake vigilantly throughout the longest hours of the night, and although she was tired, she didn't show it.

Squinting at her for a moment, Zuko shrugged. Katara expected him to call her out on having made 'the mistake' again, as he'd warned her against the previous night. Recalling that moment, she was shocked; it felt like ages had passed since that night, but this day was the morning that came after.

The first rays of sunlight turned the very edge of the sky a dark orange, and they began to gather sustenance for a meal. Katara's braids loosened and her hair returned to a simple down state; she gathered part of it in its clip once more.

"We've got to move farther away," Zuko said, standing with his hands on his hips and facing the direction from which they'd come.

"And we've got to find out where your sister has Aang," Katara added. It was odd to 'pick up' without actually picking up; the only things Zuko carried were his Blue Spirit getup, and Katara took his uncle's tea kettle.

"But right now, our top priority is putting distance between ourselves and June."

"No, our top priority is rescuing Aang and the others," Katara said, appalled.

"We can't do that if we get caught again," Zuko said, rolling his eyes.

"And we won't find them if we focus on June!"

Zuko slapped his forehead. "Have you no _survival skills_?" he questioned, turning to give her an incredulous look.

"Of course I do! But _Aang's_ survival is more paramount than my own!" Katara snapped.

Zuko's face went from annoyance to shock. "No…it's not," he said, and any trace of his previous irritation had sunk, transforming into mild alarm.

Katara ignored it. "_Nobody's_ life is more important than the Avatar's."

"Not even your brother's?" Zuko hated to say it, but he had to make her see sense.

Katara paled, her voice catching in her throat. Her eyes were large and hurt, and she simply couldn't speak. Zuko felt even guiltier, but he still stared holes through her. Reading the thoughts going through her head by the miniscule looks that took over her face, he watched as she floundered for an answer.

He hadn't realized, but he'd stepped closer as they were arguing, and now they were just out of an arm's reach away from each other, and he could see every strand of her hair that strayed from the rest; could see her throat working.

Finally, after a lot of swallowing and what looked like an internal battle (and probably was), Katara whispered, "I would give my life for both…For _all_ of them."

If turning on one's heel could be described as fierce, as _defiant_, than that was how Katara did so. Zuko hunched and followed after a bit, feeling a little ashamed. Also, there was a good amount of satisfaction from the way she had answered him. Brushing off the fact that he felt proud about it, he fit his swords into their sheaths on his back.

Eventually, the two began to bicker again. It was over trivial things, like in which direction they should head when they came to a figurative fork in the road. One direction could lead to Azula and her friends, and the other could lead nowhere.

"What happens if we find Azula, but not Aang?" Katara inquired as they traipsed over a gravelly patch of land.

"I don't know," Zuko said. He was a little irked with all her questions, but supposed it couldn't be avoided since it was _his_ sister; _his_ nation. He knew he would be doing the same thing if it were her brother.

They came to a small clearing, and Zuko paused briefly to look up at the sky. It had gotten grayer since they'd begun walking that morning, and it felt like it was going to rain.

Katara was pleased with the change in weather, especially after the long days of overwhelming heat that the Fire Nation seemed to be made up of. Rain was definitely the best thing that could happen at this point; at least, the best thing that didn't come with a _price._

It started up and Katara could feel every individual drop hitting the ground, from the soles of her feet all the way up to her knees, and beyond that, into her veins; but it was not an impostor in her body, her blood. Her calves were sweating from the Fire Nation heat and she was surprised that it could even rain there, but she didn't wish it away.

"Come on, we have to keep going," Zuko urged. He'd spotted a town in the distance, and a town meant shelter; food. But Katara lagged behind, raising her hands and wiggling her fingers around. Rain seemed to pool just above her palms, and she used it to cool her shoulders, which seemed to be on fire from the sun.

Stepping closer, Zuko studied the skin of her shoulders and said, "That's a _really_ bad sunburn."

Due to the sweltering weather, Katara wore a sleeveless top, leaving her shoulders bare.; the Fire Nation sun was very hot. She couldn't escape the sunrays touching her skin, and she winced when she touched the water to the red places.

"Sunburn?" she repeated absent-mindedly, becoming grouchy with the fact that while her skin was cooled by her water, it still ached.

"Tell me you know what a sunburn is," Zuko said, a bland look on his face.

"Of _course_ I know what it is," she quipped, shooting him a glare. "I've just never really been sunburnt before. Agh." Her fingernail had brushed her arm as she took her hands away from it, and it had stung.

"Stop _touching_ it," Zuko ordered, suddenly exasperated. "It's not going to get better if you do that. Can't you just…I don't know…heal it?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "But healing takes a lot out of me, and I don't think I want to waste it on something this small. It's not life-threatening." Droplets of rain followed the lengths of strands of her hair, and she recalled the previous night, in which things had been a little less tense.

"It'll hurt for a bit. And it'll flake if you don't treat it." Zuko's voice rasped, as usual, and he scowled up at the clouds. To Katara, he looked like a wet cat that had been left outside the house.

Smirking, she said, "It's not that big of a deal. Should we get you out of the rain?"

Zuko rolled his eyes and grumbled something unintelligible, brushing his hair back from his forehead to relieve his eyes of the rainwater that dripped down his face. Beginning to stalk in the direction of the town, he called over his shoulder, "Are you coming, or do I have to drag you?"

He received a splash of more than enough water against his back and head. "I probably wouldn't try that," Katara hissed from behind. "Remember, you want to join our little _club."_

"Don't hold _that_ over my head. Remember, _I'm_ your _only hope_ for rescuing the Avatar," he shot back, entertaining the idea of what lightning could do through water. _Of course,_ he thought, _I would never try that on anyone other than my father._

Grimacing, he trudged on, and was pleased to hear Katara's scoff of defeat. She said something that was probably unpleasant under her breath and picked up her pace until she was at his elbow. Zuko said nothing, although he felt as if she were a little too close for comfort.

Katara stared daggers through the back of the ex-prince's head, glowering as she tried to keep up with him. But she also felt strangely sad; the night before, being around Zuko had been so relaxing, and now? They weren't exactly at each other's throats, but they soon would be.

When they neared the edge of the town, Zuko halted suddenly – Katara found that she was growing used to this and stopped before her nose smacked into his right shoulder blade – and drew his sword; he stooped towards a plant and delicately sliced its core open.

Pulling it from the ground, he tossed it at Katara, who barely caught it. It was icky and oozy, and she was revolted. "Oh, _gross._ Is this your way of revenge? Throwing _goop_ at me? Wow, you're more immature than _Toph._ What even _is_ this?" she snapped, all in one breath.

He blinked at her. "It's for the sunburn. I don't know the name of it, but if you put it on the, ah, skin…it should clear it up."

"…Oh," Katara said in response. She looked down at the blobby fluids, studying their appearance. A thought popped up in her head, saying he might be tricking her and giving her an even worse skin problem. Raising an eyebrow, she squinted at Zuko.

He recognized her speculative hesitance and gave a deep sigh. "Here," he said, moving closer and dipping two of his fingers in the goop. Rubbing his hands together, he raised them to his head and lathered his scalp with the stuff; he explained, "Sometimes your scalp gets sunburnt, too."

"I _know," _she insisted. Hastily moving to put the oozing leaves on her back, she shot him a look.

"You're not even doing it right," he said, and the exasperated tone was back. Before she could give a retort, he grabbed the plant out of her hands and slid his fingers along the goopy part.

Pushing her hair out of the way, Zuko slapped the stuff onto her shoulders. Katara tensed at the unexpected coolness of the gummy liquid, scowling and pulling her hair over one shoulder. Gritting her teeth, she muttered: "You're better when you're _unconscious."_

"I'm also doing you a _favor,"_ he shot back.

Rubbing the stuff along every affected area of skin on Katara's back and neck, Zuko watched as she bent her head forward, as if to lean away from him. Under his massaging fingers, her muscles slowly started to relax, and she said, "That's actually helping."

"That's what it's _supposed _to do," he replied. Taking one last bit of the goop, he discarded the leaves on the ground, and his hands moved to her scalp. Her eyes fluttered closed.

When he finished, he wiped his hands on his pants and ambled forward again, leaving her staring after him in a stupor. Shaking her head as if to clear it, she scampered towards him with the tea kettle. "Uh, thanks," she said bashfully. She failed to mention that it was actually the _massaging _that had helped, and the cooling fluids were just an added bonus; however, she knew that if she ever mentioned it, he'd laugh at her.

"Oh, sure," Zuko replied, but his quiet voice was distant. He'd stopped again, staring at the road that had slowly started to form along their path.

"What is it?" Katara asked, and her voice was flatter than she felt it polite to be.

Zuko didn't notice. Instead, he broke out of his reverie, gave her a brief, blank look, and then began to head along the road, keeping his face down to avoid someone recognizing his scar.

They made their way down the street, and it formed into a healthy village: people floated around the markets, and children chased each other. It was quietly busy, and Katara could tell that the town was a closely-knit group of people.

Zuko passed two inns before he settled on one, and as they entered and approached the innkeeper, who looked more like a snake than a human, Zuko raised his head. His eyes bore holes into that of the reptilian man's, and the man gasped.

"Prince Zuko," he murmured, bending forward to bow, but Zuko put out a hand, halting him.

"Don't draw attention to me," the firebender ordered quietly. "My sister and my father can't find out that I've been here."

"I see," said the innkeeper, lowering his eyes respectfully. "I suppose you'll be staying here, then?"

"For a little while, yes."

"I'll prepare, er," – the man glanced over Zuko's shoulder to Katara – "two rooms, sir?"

"One's good," Katara spoke up despite herself. Immediately, she blushed, kicking herself mentally. Why on _earth_ would sharing a room with Zuko be _good?_

Zuko gave her an incredulous look but said nothing, and the man drew up a key. "I don't need to tell you to be careful, do I?" he asked, giving Zuko a knowing look.

"I probably wouldn't listen if you did," Zuko replied, smirking. He turned and motioned for Katara to follow him down a long hallway; she stared at the innkeeper, confused by his familiar way of speaking to the ex-prince, and went along.

They approached their room and he said, "There's only one key. That means I know where you are at all times, and you know where I am at all times. If we need to go out, we do it together. And that's only if we _need_ to. We'll search this place for your friends and my sister, and if we don't find them, we're gone. Okay?"

"Okay," Katara stammered as the door fell open. She was annoyed at his superior tone, but too tired to press the matter. Staring at him as he faced away from her, she prayed that he would be of some use to her other than his…_connections._

They entered the room. "Oh, _no_," she groaned, horrified to discover that there was only one bed. "This is going to turn out _badly."_

* * *

**Author's Note:** At the beginning of this chapter, there were several lines from the song Lua by the band Bright Eyes. If you don't remember it, it's: _"But what was normal in the evening, by the morning seems insane. __**'Cause what is simple in the moonlight, by the morning never is.**__ What's so simple in the moonlight, now is so complicated…What's so simple in the moonlight, so simple in the moonlight…"_

I hope you understand the reason I included it here. The bolded line above is what I was trying to convey, seeing how Katara and Zuko were calm and got along during the night of their (second) escape, but then returned to bickering in the morning. They both look back on the previous night, and find that how they acted towards each other was ludicrous.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this, and as always, thanks for reading! :3


	7. Black Celebration

Katara woke to loud music. She sat up on the floor of the room in a blur, head swimming with the sudden movement, and searched for the source of the music, which she discovered to be coming from outside the inn.

Getting up onto her knees, she walked with them over the few feet between her sleeping space and the window and peered out. Her blue eyes widened when she saw the streets below, which were more crowded than before. Resting her hands on the window sill, she turned to wake Zuko.

"Zuko," she called softly, leaning to see around the other side of the bed. He'd told her she could have the bed, and she'd said that he could take it instead. When Zuko had downright refused to sleep in it, Katara was stubborn enough that she didn't sleep in it either.

So their compromise was to strip the bed of its clothes, each taking a blanket, a sheet, and a pillow; they decided to sleep on either side of the bed, for privacy.

The room they shared was square, with taupe-colored walls. A few lanterns hung from the ceiling; they were painted red with white flowers. In the corner there was a desk and a chair, not of the comfy variety. Katara slept on this side. Zuko slept nearest the door, and Katara had some suspicion that it was so he would be the first one any intruder encountered on their way into the room.

Leaning further, Katara almost lost her balance; she squeaked and her nails dug into the window sill, but there was no sign of an awakening Zuko. On further investigation, Katara found that Zuko wasn't even in the room; his bedding was folded neatly and placed on top of his pillow, which he'd set on the foot of the bed.

Confused and slightly outraged, Katara jumped to her feet and raced towards the door. Flinging it open, she found that the hall was clear; she didn't even bother to call for her somewhat-companion.

She emitted an irritated groan and went about tying up her hair, which she'd let down before she'd fallen asleep. Slipping her feet into her sandals, she straightened the part of her shirt that went over her left shoulder and picked up her makeshift bed.

Folding it similarly to Zuko's, she placed the bundle by his and headed for the door, making sure to lock it from the inside before she shut it.

_Only one key,_ Zuko had said. _You know where I am at all times, _Zuko had said. _We do not go out unless we're together and only if we absolutely need to,_ Zuko had said.

Katara glowered as she paced down the hall, making sure she picked up her feet so as not to disturb the other guests by stomping around - _if_ she could even be heard over the noise of the drums outside. She turned a corner and went down some stairs, then down another hall and into the lobby.

Booms and bangs reverberated through the wooden inn, and she found her way into the morning light. Stepping out into the street, Katara ogled the citizens – almost everyone was dressed in deep red, light pink, brown, and black garments, spinning and laughing and just being a happy community.

Katara smiled herself, trotting and half-turning, filled with the elation of her surroundings. She searched all down the street for Zuko, but found him nowhere. Continuing along the other roads, she discovered that the town was actually a lot smaller than she'd thought; somehow it only worried her more.

Daring not risk asking someone if they'd seen the banished prince, Katara gave up after a few more rounds around the festivities. Someone handed her what looked like snow in a cup, and tentatively, she raised it to her mouth and licked it.

Pleased, she touched it to her tongue once again, rolling the melting ice over and over until it was just cool water. However they'd managed to get _ice _in the Fire Nation and keep it that way was beyond her, but she shrugged.

Deciding that she would know if Azula had been here, Katara started to head back to the inn. _If he's been captured,_ she thought, _by either June or Azula, I would be, too. They'd check his living quarters._ Uncertainty slapped her in the face, but she walked on.

Weaving through the packs of turning, laughing bodies, Katara danced an unfamiliar, anxious dance. Every time she had a direct path to the inn, a mob of people would pick her up and carry her away, like a leaf in an ocean of black and red.

The drums were suddenly too loud, banging enough to jumble her thoughts. She grimaced and pushed back against the others, freezing every time she saw someone that looked _too_ much like June or Azula.

Katara was washed up near the inn, and she quickly jumped towards the building before she was drowned in the sea of people once more. She was gasping from the heat and from the confusion, but she wasn't being smothered anymore.

Clutching at a beam near the entrance, she waited for her head to stop spinning before she ventured inside. Passing the innkeeper at his desk, she smiled nervously and waved, but was on her way before he could say anything.

Her head was pounding to the rhythm of the drums, and her heartbeat wasn't far behind. Katara's steps thudded on the floorboards as she raced down the long hall and up the stairs, not stopping until she reached her room.

Hand sweaty on the metal doorknob, Katara turned it and the door fell open. The room inside was dark despite the light flooding in, and she gulped, hoping that she could just wait here for Zuko to show up again.

Worried, she entered the room. Pausing near a small table with a vase on it, she stood on her tiptoes to look out the window. Nothing seemed amiss, but she still felt knots in her chest.

Suddenly, the door closed behind Katara. She jumped, causing the vase next to her to fall and crash on the floor. Someone came out from behind the door and grabbed her arm, pushing her against the wall. Raising her face to her attacker's, she frowned when she realized who it was.

Zuko pulled off his hood, hissing steam, and said, seething, "Did the words I spoke to you last night go in one ear and right out the other?" His voice was raspy as always, but harsh. The blade that he held to her throat lowered, and Katara swallowed noisily, blinking.

"What are you _talking_ about?" she snapped, scowling right back at him. "You _left_ me! I thought maybe you were, oh, I don't know, _dead, _or—"

"I _know._ But you should've stayed here," Zuko said, pinching the bridge of his nose. He leaned against the wall, nudging the broken pieces of the vase towards the wall with his foot.

"You know where I am at all times. I know where you are at all times. We do not go out unless we _need_ to, and when we _do_ go out, we do it _together."_ The ex-prince grimaced as Katara repeated what he'd said to her the night before, almost word-for-word, proving that the rules had indeed _not_ gone in one ear and out the other.

"You're right," he admitted, looking away. He crossed his arms and hunched, still slumped against the wall. "This is my fault. I'm sorry. I should've told you. Especially on a day like today."

Katara opened her mouth to accuse him some more, but found herself saying, "What exactly _is _today? I woke up to drums."

"It's the average town's festivities. Black Celebration," Zuko supplied, pushing off of the wall and waltzing towards the window. He maneuvered around the bed, eyeing Katara's folded blankets, which had been placed next to his.

"Why are they celebrating?" Katara asked, sounding intrigued. She'd seen a lot of celebrations in her trip around the world, and there was always some great bit of history as their cause. The wonder of the mystery took over her face, and she joined him by the window, pressing a palm to the glass and looking out.

The street was bathed in the black and red clothes of dancers, passersby, and shopkeepers. Zuko stared over the townspeople. "It's the anniversary of the town's creation," he said simply. "This town was originally two villages. Of course, they were always at odds with each other, but that changed when the daughter of the general that ran one town and the son of the general that ran the other fell in love."

"That seems kind of cliché," Katara whispered, covering a smirk with her hand.

"It _is_ cliché," Zuko agreed, crossing his arms. "I guess you can conclude that when they married, the towns became one. It wasn't without faults, though, but now…"

"They're happy about it," Katara finished for him. "That's _good._"

"Yes. They're all distracted; it gives us time to look around," the firebender murmured thoughtfully. "Azula could be anywhere."

"That's _not_ what I meant." Her tone was that of exasperation, and it was Zuko's turn to smirk.

"I know," he said, and then his tone turned serious. "But we're here for a purpose."

* * *

The rhythm of the drums was joined by orchestral music; many of the townspeople broke out instruments and began to pluck their strings. The morning passed to afternoon before Zuko told Katara they should go out again.

"We need to start searching," he said as she sat at the desk, staring out the window. "If I know Azula, she'll be staying somewhere that isn't too flashy."

Katara turned her head to him, and her hair fell from behind her ear to frame her face. "I would think that the princess of the Fire Nation would be staying at the most expensive place. Image, you know."

"That's true, and she usually would, but she's got the Avatar. I doubt she'll want people to know that until she's back at the palace, with my father."

"I see." Katara nodded. Standing up, she stretched her arms above her head, and then adjusted her one-shouldered top. She was thankful that her midriff was bare, in _this_ heat. "I guess I'll follow you."

They left the building, becoming one with the ever-moving, ever-jubilant crowd of parade-goers, and Zuko grabbed Katara's wrist before she was dragged off in an ocean of sweaty bodies. "It'd be best if we stuck together," he murmured, suddenly cranky.

Katara yanked her arm out of his grasp, surprised that she could even hear him over the beating of the drums. "I can handle _myself,_ thank you!"

He let his hand fall, palm exposed in something like surrender, and glared at her sharply. "Well, don't get carried away." Envisioning her being picked up by the crowd and disappearing, he blinked.

"Why would I get carried away with handling myself?" Katara snapped back. She shot him a look. "That doesn't even make _sense!_"

Zuko slapped a hand to his forehead, and she stomped off. He continued entertaining the thought of letting her be swept away by the crowd and looking for Azula on his own – he didn't even _need_ Katara here. _I can accomplish everything without her,_ he thought as he followed her. _Why I even have her here is ridiculous. I only need her for joining the Avatar._

But even then, he stared at Katara's back and felt a twinge of something – guilt?

He stopped, having thought he'd glimpsed Azula in the crowd. He followed his sister's delicate bone structure a little ways and grabbed her shoulder, roughly turning her around—

—and staring into the face of a stranger.

"What is your _problem?"_ asked the lady in a voice too thick to be his sister's. She looked like she was about twice his age; this definitely was _not_ Azula. Zuko gulped.

"I'm sorry! I, uh, I thought you were someone else—" He raised his hands in defense, but she just shrugged and spun on her heel, strutting away and soon being lost in the crowd.

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose. This day was turning out to be rougher than he'd hoped. First, he'd awoken to strange sounds coming from the hall – which had turned out to be a stray cat that had somehow found her way inside.

He'd picked the cat up, making sure not to wake Katara – who'd been snoring a little and facing the opposite wall. Moonlight had fallen through the window and had given her silhouette an eerie glow, but Zuko hadn't had time to stare.

The prince had taken the cat to the front door of the inn and let her out onto the street when the innkeeper (a good friend of Zuko's uncle), whose name was Ren Zoh, had approached him. Ren Zoh had told Zuko that Iroh had sent a messenger hawk to the inn, telling Ren Zoh that Zuko would be coming soon.

"How'd he know that?" Zuko had asked, more than a little baffled that his uncle had predicted his path.

"Here," the innkeeper had replied, reaching inside his robes and producing a scroll. As he'd done so, a Pai Sho piece marked with a white lotus also fell out, and he'd hastily picked it up, looking around as if he were trying to appear inconspicuous.

"You play Pai Sho with my uncle?" Zuko had asked, raising his good eyebrow. The man had flushed and nodded.

"That is not what's important," he'd said, urging Zuko to open the scroll. "Go on, read it. You can keep it; it's of no use to me anymore." He'd just been meant to pass on the message.

Zuko had nodded, glancing at the stairwell – his room was too dark to read the scroll, so he'd decided to go for a walk. Exiting the inn, he'd begun walking down the street, which was slightly illuminated, but overall dark as well.

Lighting a fire in his palm, Zuko had unraveled the scroll and deciphered his uncle's scratchy yet legible handwriting.

_Ren Zoh,_

_It has been a long time, has it not? I hope you and your family are doing well. I heard about your son, and I'm sorry that I did not send my condolences. I hope he is feeling better. Anyways, I must inform you that my nephew, Zuko, has been reported as heading in your direction. I asked a certain bounty hunter to find him and bring him to me so we could talk, but she's just told me that he "escaped," and that he's moving east. He will most likely stay at your inn; I'm sure he remembers where you live. Please accommodate him in every way you can. Also, please let him know that I wish to speak with him._

The letter had drabbled on some more about Ren Zoh's family and life without a good tea shop around, and then ended in Iroh's awful signature. Zuko had squished his fingers into a fist, scrunching up the scroll vehemently. _June_ – that_ jerk. _She'd toyed with him and Katara for fun, treating them as she pleased just for laughs. He scowled – he would've _gone_ with her, _willingly,_ if she'd told him where she was taking them.

Pausing, he'd realized that maybe Katara hadn't been meant to see Iroh, and that June had simply taken her along too because Zuko had seemed to need her. Had Iroh paid more for Katara's release from her previous bounty, just for his nephew?

In a way that was becoming too frequent, Zuko had slapped his forehead. He'd grumbled and walked around until the sun came up and the villagers came out. Almost completely done being irritated, Zuko had realized at some point that he'd left Katara at the inn, all alone.

He'd rushed back to their room only to find the waterbender missing, which caused more trouble. Of course, she'd returned almost immediately after he'd gotten there, and, save for the part where he almost attacked her when he thought she might be an intruder, everything was painless up until this point.

This point, in which it seemed that Zuko had lost Katara _again._

He groaned.

* * *

_(Author's note: __**TRIGGER WARNING**__**. **__ Mild suggestions of attempted molestation/rape.)_

* * *

It was hot outside; not only because of the Fire Nation sun, but because the bodies that swarmed around Katara hadn't stopped bouncing. This was one of the biggest celebrations she'd ever seen, but at least she'd gotten another refreshing cup of ice – which was apparently called a cone. She'd pondered how it could be a cone (it wasn't shaped like a cone), but had shrugged it off.

Along the way, she'd managed to lose Zuko. Being it too crowded to sit down, she'd decided to retrace her steps and look for him, but in the crowd of people who had dark hair, light skin, and wore red or black clothing, she might as well have been looking for a drop of water in the ocean.

It scared her how much that metaphor fit her situation.

She trudged on, dreading the fact that although the two had only officially teamed up yesterday _– _setting the ground rules _last night_ – they'd already been separated twice. And Katara didn't want to place any blame so soon, but she'd noticed that both times were _kinda Zuko's fault._

It was simple, Katara decided, pursing her lips and making her way through the small town. It wasn't like she'd _promised_ to stay with him or anything. Besides, what good were promises when dealing with Zuko – the _prince_ of broken promises – anyway?

Katara looked all the places that looked even slightly shady. She didn't _need_ Zuko to accompany her on this mission. The rules they'd set last night were stupid, and if he was going to disregard them as if they were nothing, then so was she.

The day grew hotter as the parade dragged on, but that didn't stop the townspeople from celebrating. A couple drunken men passed Katara at one point, and she was surprised that people could get drunk so early in the evening.

Ah, yes, it was evening now. Where had the day gone? Katara wondered this as she spotted a particularly suspicious-looking building – sure enough, it was an inn of sorts. Without hesitating, she entered the building, which was dimly lit with dark red lanterns – a part of the celebration?

She wandered towards the front desk; a man stood on the other side of it. There was a wall behind him, so it was a cozy-looking little nook, and a curtain hung over what seemed to be a doorway to the left of said nook.

Everything was lit in red, but Katara thought the walls were a dusty blue color. Her red clothes looked black in the dark lighting. Squinting to make out the man's features, she asked, "Is this an inn? I'm looking for someone."

The man gave her a once-over before saying, "Yes, yes it is." Crooking his finger and gesturing for her to approach him, he smiled a smile that looked, for some reason, harsh. "I think you'll find _whoever_ you're looking for in here."

He lifted the curtain behind him and ushered her inside, and she instantly halted. Behind the curtain, there was a large room. It smelled like alcohol, and there were men everywhere, with few women. Katara blushed at the sight of the women – their clothing seemed to be almost falling off their shoulders. There was music even louder than the music outside, coming from a small ensemble in the corner.

The curtain dropped heavily behind her, but she could make out a hallway on the opposite side of the room. The place was filled with people, but she began to maneuver her way around them, slowly drawing closer to the hall.

Katara got close enough to see that there were indeed rooms in that corridor, before her vision was cut off by three or four men.

A knotting feeling grew in her gut as she saw the looks on their faces – they were leering about, resembling rats. Obviously, their intentions weren't good, and Katara decided it'd be best to get away from them, rather than try to go through them towards the hall.

She attempted to go around them, putting a good distance in between herself and the men, but they tracked her through the crowd. Katara's heart was pounding and no one seemed to notice her, and over the roar of the music, no one would hear her either.

Somehow, she found herself by a wall, away from the general crowd of people. The men were almost next to her, and their hands reached towards her. Katara squeaked and tried to get away, but there was nowhere to go.

She felt awfully little.

"Wouldja look a thaaad," one of the men slurred. He was disgustingly smelly, and looked like he hadn't bathed in days. The wine on his breath was most revolting. Reaching out a hand, he smirked as Katara tried to make herself smaller and avoid it.

Suddenly, there was a glint of light and a thick noise – _shungk. _Katara's eyes went wide, and they wheeled down until she'd spotted what had made the flash and the noise: a long, thin blade rested upon the man's outstretched hand, and the person who wielded it was none other than…

"Zuko," Katara sighed in relief. She felt her muscles unclench, and stepped closer to the firebender. The man who'd approached her backed away, raising his hands in defense.

"I wuzzn't gunna do an'thin'," he drawled slowly, and paused as if confused by his heavy tongue. The other men had scattered, leaving him alone to face Zuko.

Zuko disregarded the man completely, now that the man was at a comfortable distance from Katara. Turning to her, he asked, "Why are you _here?"_

Katara swallowed hard and looked down, feeling guilty all of a sudden. "Y-You said that Azula would be keeping a low profile," she stammered, avoiding his eyes. "I f-figured that this place was out of the way…"

"Please recall that although my sister is insane, she definitely has some _dignity,"_ Zuko said icily. He shot a deadly look at one of the half-dressed women standing nearby, and the woman, who was staring, quickly turned away. The drunk in front of them scampered away as well.

Ashamed, Katara squeezed her eyes shut. Now she knew _exactly_ what kind of place this was – how could she be so _naïve,_ not to have realized it before?

Sheathing his sword, Zuko sighed and took her shoulder, guiding her in front of him towards the exit. He stopped at the entrance desk and stared down the man behind it, who looked back with horrified eyes.

"Although I am in the mood for violence," Zuko began, breathing steam, "I will refrain from expressing it in front of the _lady._" Without even moving, he seemed to gesture to Katara, and his glare intensified. The man gulped, and it was all he could do not to look at the small girl behind the boy. He felt that if he did, the boy might skin him then and there.

Zuko's voice was regal. Katara watched his shoulders straighten majestically, showing he was born to be above the likes of this man – this _scum _who had gained Katara entry to the shady building. And, with everything that just happened, Katara knew that Zuko had_ earned _that position_._

"Because it would probably _upset_ her," Zuko continued darkly, "I am going to let you off with a _suggestion._ Listen closely, you foul-smelling _wretch._ If you _dare_ speak of my presence in this village, or _hers;"_ he nodded to Katara, "If you talk to _anyone at all,_ I will come here once more and I will _find you."_

Zuko might as well have been a snake around the man's throat, because the man was choking on what looked like a response. He stuttered in fear, sliding up against the wall behind him, and Zuko decided that he might need another little push.

Leaning over and fixing the man with an even more unsettling glare, Zuko spoke in a dangerously calm, low voice, but his tone was light, as if he had no cares about how this turned out. "Am I _clear?"_

He could've been selling candies.


	8. Flirting With Fire

They got back to their room sometime around midnight, and wordlessly laid their blankets and pillows out. Their beds were closer together than they were the previous night, but if Zuko or Katara noticed, neither of them mentioned it. Now, their heads were just past the foot of the bed, so they could see the other's head if they wished.

Naturally, both of them were turned so their backs were facing each other. From the sound of his soft, slow breathing, Zuko was asleep. But Katara was wide awake.

She played the events of the night over and over again in her mind, cringing at her own stupidity and Zuko's sudden appearance.

What would have happened if he hadn't shown up just then?

Katara squeezed her eyes shut and rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling and trying to block out the thoughts that plagued her mind. Unsuccessful, she was halfway through another torturous thought when she noticed a small light inside one of the five lanterns that hung from the ceiling.

It went on and off, and Katara rubbed at her eyes, but when she looked again, it was still there. Sitting up, she stared at the tiny light even more. Was it fire? She checked to see if somehow Zuko was controlling it.

The firebender was still asleep, so that was a _no._ Katara grumbled under her breath and moved herself onto her knees; climbing gently onto the bed so as not to wake him, she poised herself on the opposite side of the mattress. From this point, she was practically perched above Zuko, but she paid him no mind as her eyes zeroed in on the lantern.

_So that's it_, she thought as she heard a familiar buzzing noise. _It's a firefly. _

Raising herself slowly, Katara stood on the bed and reached for the lantern, catching it in between her fingers and lifting it off of its hook. Crouching and lowering herself to her side of the floor once more, she captured the firefly in her hand and tiptoed over to the window.

Gingerly opening the window so that it would make minimal noise, Katara put her hand into the night air and released the firefly, who lit up momentarily before disappearing towards a nearby tree.

Katara sighed as she watched the small insect flit away. She wondered vaguely if it had someplace to be; someone to meet. Chuckling, she thought, _That's silly. It's a firefly._

She turned, moving towards the bed once more and resuming her position at the opposite end; crouched once more above the still-dormant Zuko. Glancing at him, she stood. Her heart almost stopped when her balance wavered, but she threw her arms out and wobbled until she was stable again.

She tried to get the lantern back in place, reaching upward and standing on her toes, but she simply couldn't reach the lantern's post like she'd done before. Attempting the task from different places, she was too focused to notice the small creaks that the bed under her feet was emitting.

Too late, she realized she was making enough noise to—

Zuko grunted and sat up, much to Katara's horror. Covering her mouth with one hand and glancing at her other hand – which was still up in the air, stretched towards the tiny, evil lantern hook – she waited for him to grouch at her.

"What are you doing?" Zuko grumbled, frowning up at her. He pawed at his sleep-filled eyes. "What time is it?"

Katara blushed from her position on the bed, still holding the lantern in the air. "Prrrrrrobably not a good time for _this,"_ she replied, laughing nervously. Fidgeting with the lantern in her hands, she shrunk as he continued to stare up at her.

Zuko scrubbed his eyes and studied Katara, who was getting redder by the second. She was holding a lantern and looking embarrassed, and he realized mutely that it was the creaking of the bed under her feet that had woken him.

"G-Go back to sleep," she urged, waving him away in hopes that he'd stop glaring at her. "I didn't mean to wake you. I'm sorry!"

How was he supposed to tell her he couldn't go back to sleep, knowing she was awake? He didn't want to sound self-conscious. But the thought of Katara watching him sleep filled him with an embarrassment of his own. Let alone Katara staring at his unconscious body would be totally creepy…He grunted again, then pushed himself off of the floor.

"You know you're insane, right?" he asked, yawning. Reaching up and taking the lantern from her, he dodged away when she tried to grab it back. His mind and eyes were cloudy, but he was aware enough that he hopped up onto the bed alongside her, placing the lantern on its hook once more.

His feet made almost no sound as he made his descent from the bed; Katara's thudded loudly despite the fact that she was rather small. It irked him, but Zuko made no comment. He was too exhausted.

"Thanks," Katara murmured, bashful. She wrung her hands in front of her, as if nervous. Looking about, she said, "Uh, you should probably go back to sleep now."

"So should you," Zuko drawled, turning his head until his neck popped. He let out a breath in satisfaction. Katara grimaced.

The night was almost over and there were still a few sounds of jubilation from the streets. Zuko knew that it'd be best if he could catch all the sleep he could get before the citizens began their second day of Black Celebration, but he had some sense, staring at Katara, that the girl in front of him wasn't going to be sleeping soon.

"I'm not tired anymore," he lied, shrugging his shoulders and ignoring her skeptical look. If he had to, he'd stay up all the rest of the night with her, just to prove he could. In the darkness, he knew she wouldn't be able to see the probable bags under his eyes, so he threw her a smirk and raised a hand to smooth down his hair. "How long have you been, um, _up?_" he asked, glancing at the lantern above them.

Catching the pun, Katara tried not to smile. "Not long," she replied. "There was a firefly, and it was buzzing, and…"

"Ah," Zuko said when she trailed off. He nodded although he didn't really see why that would wake Katara, or even bother her enough to do everything she'd just done.

She nodded too, flushing, and in the blue light of the moon, the only color that her cheeks became was a _darker _shade of blue, like dusk.

_You rise with the moon;_ _I rise with the sun._

The memory of that day, that _night,_ came rushing back to them in different ways. They remembered the fierce determination they'd seen in each other. Zuko remembered Katara's strong, delicate body blocking him from his goals, as it seemed she did at every turn. Wherever he went to capture the Avatar, Katara was always there, standing beside Aang with a look of motherly love for the boy written all over her face. He wondered if _his_ mother might've looked like that, when…

Katara remembered the heat that she could always feel just before Zuko's fire could reach her. She recalled the burning sensation of it being too close, and recalled the movements she'd taken to keep it at bay. Water put fire out, right?

She remembered the fire, the anger, the hatred that had shone in Zuko's eyes. Staring into them now, she wondered how that could _change._ How the look in his eyes now wasn't one of loathing, but rather: gentleness.

And Zuko gazed down at her, at _her_ eyes, and made the comparison of them to one of his uncle's fancy tea saucers. They were wide and round, but his uncle's saucers weren't as blue as Katara's eyes; didn't shine in the same way.

_They shine like the moon,_ Zuko mused, feeling clever for the coincidence of her being a waterbender. He smirked with that small pride.

Katara noticed the change in expression and glowered a little. "What?" she asked, crossing her arms and looking away.

"Nothing," he replied, eyebrows furrowing. Studying Katara, he remembered the first time he'd seen that pose. It was under Ba Sing Se. She'd refused to look at him, say anything to him, for a very long time before they got to the heart-to-hearts. He was still a little bewildered that he had connected to _Katara, _who hated him _so _much, like that.

But now it seemed as if it was natural. They barely mentioned it, but when they did, it was simply 'Ba Sing Se.' That was the only reference they needed to bring back the memory of what they'd said…what they'd _shared._

Realizing that he probably thought about it too much, Zuko cleared his throat and looked away from Katara, who was still staring up at him. He didn't want to mention that she was pretty much the only person who knew his feelings about his mother, and his scar. He remembered the feel of her hand on his face, and her offer to heal him before his uncle came with the Avatar.

He'd said that he didn't need it to mark his destiny, but Zuko had always wondered: if Katara had had the chance and the time to heal his scar, would his deeper wounds be healed, too? He'd wanted so desperately to be rid of them, and to find out, but…there was no way Katara would stand to look at him after he'd sided with Azula.

Besides, he knew now that he didn't really want his scar to be healed, anyway. It was a part of him. It was the mask that was forced upon him at such a young age; the mask that he wore to shield his true self from his sister and father.

That mask had changed Zuko. More than his banishment and betrayal. More than Azula's cruel words and Mai's comfort. His mask, his _scar,_ changed him, making him the person he was today: a person trying to be better. It was the thing that had led him to this moment, right here and now, and to his decision to side with the Avatar after all.

Internally, he chuckled. If only he'd realized sooner, maybe Katara would trust him a little more. The thought of where he might be today, had he shoved his feelings away and become like Azula, frightened him, but it wasn't someplace he could end up now.

"Zuko?"

The voice broke him out of his reverie and he blinked, coloring slightly when he realized that he was still standing in front of Katara. He coughed, meeting her eyes once more, and was embarrassed even further when he saw the scrutiny in them.

"You're _drooling,_" she stated, pointing a finger at the right side of his mouth. "I think you dozed off. See, you _do_ need to go back to sleep. Lie down already."

"N-No! That's not it," Zuko said incredulously, raising his hands out of stubbornness. "I'm _fine._ Really. Why don't _you_ go back to sleep?"

"Because I'm not even tired—" Katara's denial was interrupted by a huge yawn. Zuko smirked, folding his arms across his chest and standing a little taller. Katara glowered at him. "Wipe that _smirk_ off your _face_ before I—"

"What, wash it away with some water?" Zuko teased. His grin got bigger as he stepped back from Katara in mock fear of being punched. Her shoulders went slack and she groaned heavily, blushing.

"I-I'm _too_ tired to deal with you and your nonsense," she spat, looking away. "Leave me alone. I'm going to sleep." Too late, she realized that she'd just given Zuko exactly what he wanted, but was too proud go back on her words after admitting that she was indeed sleepy.

Walking over to _her_ side of the room, she said defiantly, "Just _don't_ run off again. I don't want to have to track you down _again._"

Zuko ran a hand over his mouth to keep from smiling. "Technically, you didn't track me down. You went to track me down, then gave up, and came back to our room to find me here. If I'm in a place I'm supposed to be, and it's a place you're supposed to be…"

"Oh, for the sake of Tui and La, shut _up!"_ Katara hissed, throwing her hands up in the air as if she were about to reach across the room and strangle the firebender, who was heating up her temper, _pun_ intended.

Once again, Zuko thought that Katara would make an excellent firebender. Sages, why was she a waterbender, with an anger like that?

Katara couldn't exactly pretend she wasn't amused, so she laid down on her pillow and drew her blankets above her shoulders. Yawning again, she decided that she didn't have to be mean to Zuko _all_ the time. Horrible as he was, he was helping her find Aang, when he really could've just abandoned her and found Aang by himself.

"Zuko?" she said sleepily, shutting her eyes and welcoming her subconscious.

"Yeah?" came the reply from the other end of the room.

"You're not so bad," Katara said, and fell asleep.

* * *

The sun rose with the sound of strings being plucked, and Katara experienced the same rude awakening that she did the previous day. She rolled onto her feet, gathering her bedding, and was delighted to see that sometime during the night, Zuko had fallen asleep as well.

The thought that she could tease him over this made her giddy, and she felt no remorse as she dropped her pillow and blankets on his head. She crossed her arms smugly and stared down at him as he grunted and threw the blankets off of his face.

"You fell asleep," Katara said, grinning.

"Why don't you state the obvious," Zuko grumbled, turning over and showing her his back, hoping that she'd be insulted by his lack of guard around her.

"I _knew _you were tired," she gloated, missing the fact that he was ignoring her and nudging him with her foot. "Get _up."_

"Good morning to you, too," he said darkly, throwing her an irritated look. "Leave me alone."

"Nope," Katara said, now giggling uncontrollably. "Is Pwince Zuko not a morning person?" she asked in a babyish voice, mocking him. "What happened to you _rising with the sun?_"

"Screw you."

"We can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way," she threatened, the smug tone still in place.

Zuko didn't respond, hoping she would give up and go away. Luckily, he heard her step away, walking towards her end of the room. He grinned.

Katara walked over to the desk, feeling very villainous all of a sudden. She eyed a small vase of flowers that was perched near a candle smiled to herself. She'd had to wake Sokka up like this _plenty_ of times.

Grabbing the vase, she stalked back towards Zuko. The firebender pretended to ignore her, squeezing his eyes closed and facing away. He heard her sigh in mock disappointment.

"I guess I have no choice," she said apologetically. Before he could open an eye and ask what she meant, his head was met with a very _cold_ splash of water. And it smelled like _crap._

"What the?" he snarled, sitting up straight away, now fully awake. His hands found their way to his hair, which was drenched with foul-smelling flower water. "You're _crazy!"_

Katara nodded dutifully. "That is an appropriate response."

"That's the second time you've hit me with water in as many days. Bend it out," Zuko ordered, hissing steam. "Right now."

"That's no way to ask a favor," she reprimanded, wagging a finger at him. "Besides, you should thank the flowers! They lent their precious life-water to aid me in waking you up."

"Did you drink cactus juice?" he asked, completely serious.

"You're the one who said I was crazy," Katara replied, shrugging and grinning. "Now, ask nicely."

_It is above his dignity,_ she gloated internally. _He'll just have to wash it out somewhere._

But, to her surprise, Zuko's entire face softened, and he said in the most pleading yet respectable voice, "Please bend it out."

Taken aback, she raised her hand and bent the water off of his head and back into the vase without a word.

"Thanks," he said.

"Yeah. No problem," she replied, trying not to squeak.

Giving a mighty yawn and stretching his arms so indulgently that his spine shuddered in approval, Zuko blinked. His eyes were droopy and his hair was a complete disaster, but Katara was used to that sort of thing from Sokka, so she didn't mention it.

She also didn't mention the way that the disheveled hair irked her in all the wrong places; nor did she put a voice to the fact that she wanted to reach over and smooth his black, silky hair, then ruffle it, then smooth it again.

Ashamed with the thought of that, she turned away. "Well, we really need to find your sister, if she's here. If she isn't, she'll get farther away every day."

"I know," Zuko sighed. "Thankfully, we can wrap this up today. There aren't that many places she can hide in a village as small as this." Something in his gut told him that he was near his little sister; call it that family bond, but Zuko could feel it sink through his skin and provoke the flame of a fighter in his bones.

* * *

"This better not become a thing," Zuko growled under his breath.

Somehow, Katara had yet _again_ escaped his sight.

It'd been a while since then, maybe a few hours, and he was trying to focus on searching for his sister and keeping an eye out for the waterbender at the same time. He decided that the girls in his life must be the most troublesome girls in the world.

He searched all the inns and asked around about Azula and Katara, but no one had seen a tooth or claw of the Princess, and everyone told him that they had _just_ seen a girl with long dark hair and wide blue eyes…

Slowly, he started to panic, with the memory of the _last_ time this had happened. It was only yesterday but it felt like ages ago. It was hot out and his vision was blurry, but he scrubbed at his eyes and searched the crowd for Katara, to no avail.

He became frenzied; feverish, and he wasn't entirely sure that he wasn't coming down with something. His head pounded and his face was flushed, but Zuko continued to search for his companion.

Quite obviously, although he knew she was nearby, Zuko's sister was _not_ in this village. That meant he could leave now, but he'd told Katara he'd help her, and it was no good if he left her here on her own.

The prince mulled it over in his head: What might Katara do, alone in a place she had no knowledge of? The only logical answer, of course, was that she'd find things out. He could picture her walking up to anybody – shopkeepers, mothers, _anybody_ as long as they weren't a soldier – and asking about the village.

He regretted telling her the useless information about Black Celebration, and wished he'd told her more about who she might be able to trust, even if that number was slim.

Zuko's thoughts were running together and his judgment was becoming more blurred than his vision, and his doubts turned into a serpent that slithered into his stomach and twisted around uncomfortably.

Thinking about how he'd lost Katara for what felt like the thousandth time – only, it was the third time in two days – he chastised himself relentlessly. _How could you be so stupid as to let her out of your sight, _again?_ Have you learned nothing?_

She was going to get a good talking-to as soon as he found her. This wasn't _just_ his fault. It was hers, too. If she could remember the rules, why couldn't she follow them? It wasn't like Zuko wasn't trying.

He hated that she could vanish so easily from his highly-trained eyes; or the eyes of the Blue Spirit. Zuko thought that maybe he should hand over his mask to her, but shuddered at the thought of the things she'd do with it. He'd heard of the Painted Lady.

_She'd _totally_ ruin my reputation._

Zuko wore a hood to disguise his distinguishable face, and cursed the sun for being so hot all the time. Where had the rain from a couple days ago gone? It had been refreshing; cool. Now it was back to the same old Fire Nation sweltering heat, and Zuko suddenly missed Ba Sing Se.

Katara couldn't catch a break with this guy. She'd been running around the village – which was _really_ small, so there was no reason for this to be so difficult – and asking where in the name of Tui and La was this boy she was looking for, and everyone would always say, 'He was here just a bit ago, asking for a girl who fits your description. If you run, I bet you can catch him.'

Now she'd been standing in front of a tea shop on the same street as the inn at which she and the banished – er, _vanished_ – prince where staying; standing there for what felt like ages. She was beginning to lose hope that she might find Zuko or even Aang; losing her faith that the firebender could handle himself when he'd probably already been captured by Azula.

Katara sighed, wiping sweat off her face and wishing that she could bend, but it was too risky to be a waterbender in a Fire Nation village; especially when the princess of the nation had hunted down Katara's best friend and probably looking for Katara as well.

"Where _have_ you _been_?" rasped a too-familiar voice from behind her.

It was also too close. Katara jumped and spun around, coming face-to-face with Zuko, who was seething. Every inch of her body wanted to recoil from his livid face – was steam _actually_ coming out of his ears? He was a firebender, so Katara didn't deem it impossible.

"I have been _looking_ for you _all day,"_ said the prince through clenched teeth. His hand clamped down on Katara's shoulder. "We're _going."_

"I-I looked _everywhere_," Katara stammered as she was dragged along behind him. "I didn't find you, or Azula, or…"

"That's apparent," Zuko replied. "Neither did I."

"So she's not here, then," Katara said, face falling when he turned to give her a look of confirmation.

"Don't look so disappointed. It's probably better if you don't run into her anyway."

"Why's that?" Katara sounded shocked, but Zuko smirked.

"She'd hang you by your toes and fry you into Waterbender Stew," he joked, and the waterbender in question grimaced.

Of course, it didn't really hide the fact that he hadn't found his sister. It was only the first place he'd searched, but after years of chasing the girl standing next to him and the Avatar, Zuko thought that he could do better.

And he should. Angered, he balled his fists at his side and said, "Let's get back and head out tomorrow morning. We're gonna need plenty of sleep."

They weaved through the crowd, making their way over the short distance to Ren Zoh's inn. It was humid now and thunderclouds were gathering overhead, but Black Celebration continued and would continue for the rest of the week. Everyone was too full of mirth to let a little saturation get them down.

Katara felt the rhythm of the drums as easily as she could feel her heart beat, and every now and then her eyes would flutter closed and she'd get lost in the music. Swaying as she passed through the mob, she began to dance a little as she followed Zuko.

She felt alive, all of a sudden, with the roaring of laughter and fire. There was safety in the danger here, and she could almost envision it every time she closed her eyes. It was her mood; it was red and hot and passionate, but not angry. Katara could feel the spice of the music running over her tongue, making her grin in a way that wasn't even involuntary.

Halting, Katara caught Zuko's arm amongst the people, and he looked over his shoulder at her with a curious expression. "What?" he asked, but she just smiled wider and pulled him back a little ways; they were almost on top of the inn, and with just a few more steps they would be inside, but rest wasn't what Katara needed. And by the jump in Zuko's pulse, she could tell that it wasn't what _he_ needed, either.

Tugging him farther back into the crowd, the waterbender noticed how easy it was to fit in to the Fire Nation populace for what must've been the hundredth time; how _simple_ it was to just let herself fall back and drown in the nighttime splendor of their festivals.

She knew not all Fire Nation citizens were bad, but, staring into Zuko's bewildered eyes as she led him towards the center – the _heat_ – of the legion of partygoers, Katara felt as if she might've sorted him into the wrong category too soon.

All Zuko was and all he had been this past week was gentle; although his voice was sometimes – actually, often – harsh, he never stomped around or was rough at all. His dark eyes were even darker at night, as everything was, of course, but Katara saw something different shining in them. Something new; it was a look that she'd never seen on him before.

Had she even seen someone else wear that expression? Katara thought of Sokka, of Aang, of her father…of all the men she'd knew and met, she could not place this _face._ Well, she knew it was Zuko's, but she'd never seen the prince make a face so…tender.

Remembering that he'd been a little perplexed at their sudden change of direction, Katara opened her mouth to explain; it was something she could give him. "I want to _thank_ you," said she, and as one, they remembered the drunken men from the previous day. "And I want you to have fun."

Of course, Katara had a thousand things to thank Zuko for, but it went without question that she was thanking him for _that._

The firebender said something back, but over the noise of what was probably his fellow firebenders, at least _some,_ Zuko's words were lost to Katara. She made a puzzled face and he tried again, clearing his throat.

"You don't need to thank me," he said, and his voice was soft even as he shouted at her over the music. He was dancing, about an arm's length away, if you could call swaying and bouncing every now and then 'dancing.'

Katara threw her head back and laughed, both at his awkward movement and his reply. She mulled over some thoughts of what to say next – _Nice moves, Zuko. _Or, _I wasn't really thankful anyways. Just being polite._

Those would be her usual responses. Something snippy, something to show that she didn't care. But what bothered her is that she did, all of a sudden, and under this waning gibbous moon, she could feel her bending power escalating. This was her time of the night; her time of the month in a way that didn't involve any blood. The tides were rising and they were at their highest; they wouldn't be much longer.

It didn't matter, though. She formed a question in her mind. Conversational skills were always lost on her, but for some reason, she seemed to know all the things to say tonight.

Leaning forward, Katara glanced gloatingly up at the prince in front of her. "Didn't anyone ever give you dance lessons? You're supposed to be a prince." She grabbed his wrist and dragged him nearer.

He snorted, much closer, and his breath hit her forehead. "What have I to learn from a _waterbender of the South Pole?"_ His voice was mock-disgusted, and Katara grinned up at him as she paused her response to twirl.

"I never said I'd teach you anything," she shot back, suddenly happy that their usual bickering was more friendly. She knew that in the morning, it would be back to the cold hard irritation that spiked up between them whenever they disagreed. Azula. Aang. Everything was trying to pry its way into her mind, to make her _worry,_ but Katara was having none of it.

Tonight there was no disagreement; not even argument. Banter was banter; celebration was celebration. She smirked when Zuko smirked, knowing he didn't have anything to say to her last retort, and the song they danced to ended – only to introduce a new song to the eager dancers.

Zuko raised his head and cocked it to the side, then grinned down at Katara with a boastful look in his eyes. "I bet you don't know this one."

Katara had to admit, she didn't recognize the music. "Of course I don't. It's probably some Fire Nation anthem…"

"You're not wrong," he provided. "I can teach it to you, though."

"Can you, now?"

"Azula was my dance partner during lessons. She liked to step on my feet," said the ex-prince without even a hint of nostalgia.

"Well then," Katara replied, blinking and returning his sharp smile, then lowering her head almost to a bow. "Please, O Great Firebending Master, _teach me the ways of the dance—"_

She was suddenly whisked away and placed in a line of people; Zuko walked backwards from his previous spot and grinned at her again, calling, "Just follow my lead. Try to keep up with the others."

Katara glanced to either side of her; there was a robust woman on one side and a very short woman on the other. The beat picked up and the women raised their hands, so Katara did the same and swallowed hard. Glancing at Zuko, she saw that his hands – and the hands of the men that continued on either side of him in a big line – were raised as well.

The people clapped and Katara clapped, too, a second too late. It was lost in the thrilled noises that the crowd emitted in elation. Katara was filled with the same vibes, and she followed alongside the others, watching their feet trot and trying to mimic it.

The men and women came together and Zuko's arms came around Katara, picking her up as he spun once before returning her to the ground and slipping away again. Katara was slightly frazzled, but she was ready the next time it happened; this time it was a different man, and Zuko was lifting the short woman that had been to Katara's right.

_So that's how this works,_ she thought, eyeing the prince when she was lifted the third time, by a big man with very dark skin. The dance got faster and faster and she clapped and trotted and twirled, spun in the air; she was laughing and singing wordless songs and maybe even crying a little from all the glee.

Katara learned that the 'line' she had thought was formed was actually a giant circle; meaning that she would, sooner or later, return to Zuko and show him that she'd more or less mastered the dance he and the rest of the men were teaching her.

Zuko picked up woman after woman, none as lightweight or as pretty as Katara. He kept an eye on her the entire time she was away, and when she came around again, he was impressed to see that she could learn so quickly.

He wondered vaguely what other things she might learn quickly; what other things he could teach her that she didn't already know.

He handed her over to the man beside him, trying not to notice how it became a little less fun when it wasn't Katara who was giggling as he held her high in the air.

The drums began to pound and the men and women began to punch at the sky; towards the moon and the stars. Once every time as they transitioned partners; the men's circle of dancers went one way while the women's went the other.

Katara was next to him once again, and Zuko shot his fist up into the sky as she skipped over to him; sparks flew upward amongst a spitting flame, and his smile was priceless, filling Katara with warmth that sunk deep into her skin – not the kind of heat that was caused by fire.

Any grumpiness that had overtaken Zuko earlier was now vanished; replaced by the fun he was having. He felt a little lighter on his feet and a lot freer than normal, but he didn't find it to be a problem. He was too busy watching Katara giggle and kick when he lifted her; too busy staring at her hair and her eyes and her shoulders and her happy face.

He knew he probably looked the same way, but less pretty.

Katara smiled and laughed and danced around; the circles had gone around about six or seven times when the music became impossibly fast, and the spectators began clapping along to the beat, cheering the musicians on as they entered the tempo of 'fire fingers.'

The circles moved faster and the temperature grew hotter; Katara could swear she saw steam rising from the crowd as she was lifted yet again by the dark-skinned man. The dance was coming to a peak and musicians were falling out of their chairs. Soon, there were only a few of those musicians left, and the melody was increasingly quick and shrill.

The dancers hustled to get back to their partners before the last musician collapsed in exhaustion; Katara bounced and leapt towards the prince, keeping her eyes on him and not even bothering to look at the men who took her off the ground every second.

She was only a few people away when the song reached its climax, becoming impossibly high-pitched. Katara took a moment to glance at the musician who'd won out – a fiddler, and grinned as she felt the familiar hands of Zuko grasp her bare waist, push her up into the sky, and keep her there as the last string on the musician's fiddle broke.

Her hands were on the firebender's shoulders and her eyes were met with his; they were breathing fast and heavy and smiling from ear to ear. Katara could feel sweat sliding across her forehead and also down her back, but it didn't matter because anyone who _wasn't_ perspiring in this heat was probably dead.

Zuko unlocked his arms and Katara tumbled towards him, crashing into his chest and laughing as his arms found their way around her shoulders, steadying her; she reached around his torso to embrace him as well, giving him a mighty squeeze even though he was already wheezing from the excitement.

There was an internal fire at the base of her throat that was trying to claw its way out. His fingers caught and tangled in her hair as he bent his head forward to stare into those blue, moon-like eyes, and Zuko finally remembered what he'd been trying to connect them to.

_Once in a blue moon,_ his uncle had always said when describing something rare. The phrase basically meant that it was a one-time-only deal, and to seize the opportunity without regret.

Zuko leaned even farther forward and hoped that this was _not_ for just this once – just this _night,_ and was more than relieved when she stood on her tiptoes, coming up to greet him.

Her eyes were moonlight and they met his just before; then they fluttered shut and his did too. She smelled like water and perspiration and ash and fruit. Her hair was entrapping to his fingers, but he didn't care. She felt like putting ice on a burn – a memory he knew all too well – but it wasn't unpleasant at all.

She smiled against him and her arms went around his neck, pulling him closer so she could drink him in as if she were dehydrated. He was an oasis far sweeter than she imagined the one under Ba Sing Se to be; he was more intoxicating than any cactus juice she'd come across.

Zuko found just a glimpse of redemption in Katara's lips, Katara's embrace – there was still his loathing for himself to deal with, but he pushed it away and basked in the salvation that he was clutching so desperately in his arms.

Blood pumped and pulses were tense; outside sound became loud enough that it was almost deafening. They could hear the hustle and bustle of the jubilant crowd, but were too preoccupied to even care about what was going on around them.

Their lips met again and again, and their hands moved around one another – drifting and trailing from the other's hair to their neck, and from their neck down their back, pushing and pulling as if they couldn't decide which way they wanted to go.

Zuko tasted like spice and flame, or what Katara imagined 'flame' would taste like if it had a flavor. He burned the inside of her mouth, and somehow her tongue just knew what to do to match his; to fight his for control.

He grabbed at her hair, hands becoming needy, and she was just as hungry; as much as she wanted to explore that craving, she was beginning to remember where they were, and so was Zuko.

They broke apart once, then came together again before finally ending it. Zuko's eyes were wild and happy as he stared down at Katara; the simple sight of him like that pleased her beyond belief, and she blushed.

"I…" she began, but he pressed another feverish kiss to her lips and smiled as she blushed harder.

"Don't speak," he whispered hoarsely.

So she didn't.


	9. Lua

"I don't want to ruin your life-changing, star-crossing moment, but we've got a problem," said a particularly flat voice from beyond Zuko. The waterbender and the firebender both jumped, turning to stare in disbelief at the newcomer.

Her hair was black silk, her skin porcelain; she looked like one of the fancy dolls that Katara had seen in shop windows back in the Earth Kingdom. Her expression was about as irritated and dull as her voice, but it was her gray eyes that pierced Katara.

Her eyes were hurt beyond what she'd thought capable of the older girl, but if the other girl wouldn't comment on it, neither would Katara. Stepping awkwardly away from Zuko and looking to him so he would say something, Katara's heart leapt in a most unpleasant way.

Zuko blinked and paled, then blushed, and paled again as he stared at the girl before him; a girl so unlike Katara in every way that he barely remembered anything about her anymore.

"Mai," he said, coughing.

"Zuko," said the older girl, sickly sweet sarcasm dripping from her voice. "How nice to see you."

"Uh, yeah." He nodded, putting a hand up to scratch the back of his head. His neck was an awkward shade of scarlet, and he cleared his throat and tried to speak. "Wh-Where's my sister?"

Mai scowled. "I'm not going to give you that." Throwing Katara a withering look, she continued, "But I'm here…to _talk."_ It sounded like she was gagging as she spoke, and Katara suddenly felt that there was a lot more between Mai and Zuko than she'd thought.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Katara steeled herself and stepped forward, hating that somehow she'd ended up at Zuko's elbow rather than his side. "What are you here to talk _about?"_ Casually bending water away from nearby shops and dropped cups, Katara glanced around, suddenly thankful that anyone who might've been on the street during the dance were now probably sleeping. She didn't even see stragglers.

A blush crept onto her face when she realized how long it must've taken everyone to clear out…how _long_ she and Zuko had…

Wrinkling her noise, she pushed more pressing thoughts away and raised her eyes to Mai's, who was considerably taller than Katara and was very skilled with knives. _Great. So I'm more or less helpless if she tries to skewer me. _

The older girl hesitated in her response, opening her mouth to speak, and then looking away. It seemed like she wanted to fidget, but her arms remained crossed in front of her – she may be lenient with Azula, but she was stubborn when it came to Zuko.

"Can't we talk somewhere more…private?" she asked awkwardly, shifting her weight around on her feet. Zuko flinched, turning to stare at Katara. The waterbender realized he was waiting for her to answer, and was about to respond when Mai snapped, "Oh, _come on_, Zuko. Can't you decide for yourself? Or do you need _orders_ from everyone?"

"If you haven't noticed, _Mai,_ you're an _enemy._" Zuko moved closer to Katara, casually raising a hand to her elbow. "_We_ are allies."

Something about the way he said it made Katara feel all sorts of wrong, like a child witnessing a family argument that wasn't meant for her ears. Cursing herself for even thinking that they were the 'adults' here, she straightened her posture and raised her chin. _I'm only a few years younger than you, but that doesn't mean I'm stupid. _

"We can go," she murmured to Zuko. "Lead the way."

He glanced at her with an expression that she didn't understand, but turned, gesturing for Mai to follow them as well. Mai grumbled, lightly grabbing at her skirts and trudging after them, frowning at Zuko's back while she passed Katara.

Falling into step behind the older girl, it hit Katara.

_Oh,_ she realized. _They were…involved._

* * *

"You should know that I'm still an enemy, in the big book of schemes that your sister is writing." Mai said as soon as the door to Zuko and Katara's room was shut. Moving to stand near the center of the room, she turned to face the pair.

"Why are you here, then?" Zuko replied. His face was blank, but his eyes looked as if he had been stung by a spider wasp. They were pleading, almost, as he stood next to a waterbender in his home nation; across from his ex-girlfriend, who he no longer considered a friend.

Mai stared back at him with the same blankness, but none of the emotion. It wasn't like she was past caring, but she'd never show her real feelings in front of the waterbender. She didn't even look at the younger girl, but derogatory thoughts ran through her head.

_Despicable. He could have stayed home and gained anything he wanted: a pretty girl who came from money, a respectable home and respectful servants, and maybe even his father's acceptance somewhere down the line. But now he's with the lowest scum there is._

She wasn't sure whether she actually thought that of the waterbenders as a whole, or just this particular little girl who seemed to be in control of Zuko. Right now, Mai didn't really care. She had a message to deliver, and she'd get it done as soon as possible so she could go.

She looked like a charcoal sketch; black hair, gray eyes, and ivory skin. Katara was once again reminded of a fine doll. Fidgeting, the waterbender raised her face to study Zuko, then said, "I think I'm gonna go get some air."

"Yeah, you do that." Mai's sarcasm came a little too quickly but still cut like a knife, and she swallowed as Katara stepped out of the room and into the hall, keeping her eyes on everything except Zuko.

There was a tense silence between them, as he stared at her and she pretended not to notice. That silence was filled with everything they'd ever experienced as one. Ty Lee and trailed-off sentences, Azula and the smell of burnt flesh, and then the memory of pale skin against pale skin, dark hair against dark hair; thoughts left unspoken, letters never sent.

It felt like a thousand of Mai's knives and needles had all aimed right at Zuko's chest, hitting their marks. The guilt and the misery and the fear and the love all fought against each other inside him, and he knew he should be the first to say something about it, the first to crack, but he couldn't. He was a changed man, and she probably was different as well.

But he didn't want to keep Katara waiting, because when she was away from him, as he'd learned, she tended to disappear. He squeezed his eyes shut at the memory of his hands on her bare stomach, her arms around his neck, and a new feeling of remorse welled up within him; she was becoming the lump of tears and words caught in his throat, the ice in his firebender's veins.

_I shouldn't have kissed her._

His throat worked and the muscles in his jaw jumped. He balled his fists, trying to focus on the girl standing in front of him – she who was so cold and distant, so _abandoned;_ and he knew that any warmth he could've given this untrusting girl, this broken, beaten pawn in Azula's game, was gone.

Mai's eyes were older and more fatigued than he remembered. Katara's were round and blue and innocent. Mai's lips were in a straight, white line, as if she was keeping herself from saying anything and everything about what she'd seen him doing.

They'd broken up…They'd _broken up._ But why did he feel so awful? It'd been a while, but every now and then, he would recall a witty remark that Mai had whispered under her breath to him, as Azula's back was turned; he would recall the feel of her soft lips on his, her nails trailing along his scalp as she kissed him.

"Mai," he began, but hesitated as her eyes finally landed on him. Clearing his throat again, he opened his mouth to continue, but she cut him off.

"I don't _care_ about your stupid love life," Mai lied, lifting a hand to examine her nails. "But as I said, we've got a _problem."_

He stifled a sigh, readjusting his look at things to get to where she was, because although she was obviously remembering everything he was, Mai was raising her chin and crossing her arms and looking as defiant as ever.

"What problem is that?" he asked slowly, not wanting to seem like he was in a rush. He glanced at the bed behind Mai, knowing that she would think he wanted to get Katara in it sooner rather than later. Even though Mai knew him, knew how he did things, she would suspect it, and he owed it to her and respected her enough to not let her even imagine…

"Azula is sending a fleet of soldiers around the island to scout for _her," _Mai began, gesturing at the door that Katara had just exited.

"What? _Why?"_ Zuko snarled, incredulous. "She's already got the Avatar!"

"That's what _I_ thought," Mai replied. "But she doesn't think that the Avatar's _girlfriend_ just wandered off. She thinks they're up to something. So she wants to round them all up, and the waterbender is the last piece of this big, stupid puzzle."

"But why do _you_ care?" Zuko asked after a moment of taking it in. His thoughts had rushed to his little sister, with lightning spurting through her fingers like blood through a wound.

"I don't. But your uncle does." Mai stepped closer, just slightly, but it was enough for Zuko to notice. She continued, "He figured he could reach you through me, and he was right."

The exiled prince gave her a puzzled look, and she rolled her eyes before elaborating. "As I said, I'm an enemy. But…my allegiance, for the time being, is to _you_, Zuko."

"I can't trust you," Zuko said, throwing his hands up in denial. "My uncle would never…he knows that…"

"Do you _really_ think I would bother pretending that your uncle asked me to come see you just so Azula could let you know she knew your whereabouts? Don't you think that if she sent me here, she would know that you've got the precious little waterbender with you? Just to make it harder on the both of us?"

Mai's eyes were hard and accusing, but she was right. Zuko poked at the idea of Azula sending Mai to go deal with him and knew that Azula would do it if she could, because if Zuko was with another girl, Mai would jump to conclusions.

In some ways, Mai was a lot like Azula.

"Okay," Zuko gave in. "Why did he need to reach me?"

"He said he needed to see you. He told me you'd be here, and to come and tell you to get to him as fast as you possibly can."

"And now I'll need to move even faster because of the soldiers that are looking for Katara," Zuko groaned.

"You want to take her with you?" Mai's face got even paler, and her eyes widened slightly with diluted fury. "Fine, but if they catch you, I'm not helping you get out. You're on your own from here. Take them on if you want, but I have to leave. I can't have them seeing me," she added hastily. "Don't expect me to do this again. I'm returning to your sister in the morning. This isn't a problem that's mine."

"Thank you," Zuko said a little too soon.

"Don't thank me," Mai demanded, turning her face away, and Zuko sighed against the memories they shared, even as his body remembered the heat from Katara, which resonated in his bones, crawled under his skin, and attempted to burst through his eye sockets, ears, and mouth; desperate to get out, to break free.

Mai left in a swirl of dark hair and pale skin and red skirts, and the image flooded Zuko's mind with the days that he and Azula would be fitted for robes; often they'd be invited to ceremonies and his father would force them to go, just to get rid of their running around the palace.

* * *

Katara entered the room after she saw Mai leave, hesitantly opening the door to find Zuko standing in the same spot she'd left him in. She shut the door quietly and moved to stand beside him, staring up at his pale, scarred face.

"Were you close?" she asked a little too abruptly, but his answer came the same way, like a dam being pelted with water and gravel and logs until finally, its burden broke free and destroyed the dam along with everything in its path.

"Very. The closest I've ever been to someone, besides my uncle." He paused, thinking. "As close as I could be to her, at the time."

"I see," Katara said, and then there was nothing more to say on the subject. Zuko snapped out of whatever reverie he had been floating in, and told the waterbender what Mai had told him, leaving out the part about the soldiers looking for Katara.

"He's in Ba Sing Se," Zuko began. "It may take a while for us to get there, but he's asked us to go see him."

"What about Aang?" Katara asked, surprised. "I can't just leave him."

"Azula won't hurt him," Zuko told her. "Mai told me that she'll be trying to convince Aang to work for my father."

"He'll refuse," replied the waterbender. "He won't do it."

"Then they'll imprison him," Zuko amended. He knew well enough that Azula wasn't one for torture when she wanted to make friends, odd as her friendship initiations were. He remembered her forcing Mai, Ty Lee, and her own brother to do all sorts of nasty things, but he didn't believe for one moment that she would hurt the Avatar; not when she could get something useful out of him. "Believe me, Katara, he'll be alright," Zuko pleaded. "But I have to go see my uncle."

"Great," Katara said sarcastically. "Aang's been captured and _we're_ leaving to go have a chitchat date with your uncle." She swallowed, looking out the window. "You're sure they won't harm him?"

"Not as long as they think he's of use. And he's the Avatar, so that's more or less eternal."

"This is too sudden," Katara whimpered despite herself. She fidgeted with the ends of her hair, wrapping one strand around her index finger over and over again.

"_Everything_ is too sudden," Zuko replied. He didn't want to ask her for her trust, and he understood that he was really going to have to earn it, but he needed her to come with him, for fear of leaving her all alone against the soldiers that were coming. "Please. He can help."

Katara raised her face and stared up at him, her wide blue eyes picking apart every inch of his as she contemplated, and remembered their sudden, passionate kiss. A bright red blush flamed across her cheeks and she frowned; a strange feeling rose in her gut.

_I shouldn't have kissed him,_ she thought, studying the outline of his scar in the dark. _I don't even know if I can trust him. _All her doubts and fears came back to her in a sick, twisted manner, up through her stomach and into her throat.

"Fine," she agreed after a while, and honestly, she thought, it was against her better judgment. Her grandmother had always told her to look after herself, and here she was waltzing off with an enemy-turned-possible-ally. Zuko was more or less a stranger to her, even if she knew his name and his memorable face.

Then again…she thought of all the times over the past week that he'd actually _helped_ her: twice with June, once with the drunken men, and altogether with finding Aang. She bit her lip, struggling between what she knew and what she didn't, what she hoped and what of which she was afraid.

Shaking her head, Katara willed away the tears that sprang to her eyes. This wasn't enough to cry over, so she didn't. As much as she hated the idea of paying a visit to Zuko's uncle while Aang was in Azula's clutches, she couldn't do much else.

She hated that she needed her friends; that she needed Zuko. She hated that she didn't know how to accomplish rescuing Aang and the others, even though she always tried to be optimistic. _I'm strong,_ she thought. _But strength is nothing without independence._

"You're sure?" Zuko asked, lowering his face to stare more directly into her eyes.

"Yes," she lied.

* * *

The next day, Katara discovered that while she needed her friends to help win the bigger battles, the smaller battles could be solved by herself.

The first example was the matter of getting to Ba Sing Se in a short amount of time. The waterbender remembered that she hadn't seen Momo or Appa when Azula had captured Aang and the others, which meant that Appa was close by, and probably _not_ under lock-and-key like Sokka, Aang, and Toph.

Katara and Zuko took only a day's worth of travel to get to the Western Air temple; Zuko seemed to know better than Katara where to find it, which made her a little suspicious, but she said nothing. She called for Appa and heard a ginormous groan, and then the flying bison appeared out of nowhere with Momo at its side.

The enormous beast was happy to see a friend, and licked Katara once before allowing her to bend the saliva off of her body. Momo perched on her shoulder, to her surprise, and she laughed as she patted both of the animals in greeting.

Appa also decided that Zuko was okay to lick. "I am really starting to _hate _animal saliva," said the prince after the torturous ritual was complete. He attempted to wipe the sticky goop off of himself, to no avail, and Katara bent it off, sniggering.

Climbing into the bison's saddle, Katara waited for Zuko to join her before taking the reins and shouting, "Appa, yip yip!"

Grumbling, the creature lifted off from the earth, and Zuko thought he might be sick as he watched the ground grow farther and farther below him. Clutching at the side of the saddle, he turned to Katara and shouted, "How long is _this_ going to take?"

"I don't know," replied the waterbender over her shoulder. "It depends on him, really." She gestured to Appa beneath her, and in response, he roared and picked up speed.

The prince was amazed that he was riding a flying bison that was probably the _last _flying bison, more than a hundred years old, and using him to travel to the Earth Kingdom. He fretted for a bit over how they would hide the Avatar's giant pet, but achieved calming himself when he remembered that Appa had stayed hidden right under Azula's vainglorious nose.

There was a fire starting inside of Katara, and she wasn't sure whether it was Zuko who was kindling it or herself, but she knew that she had to take action, take control; take the reins of the situation just like she'd taken the reins of the flying bison below her.

Comparatively, her situation was nothing like riding Appa, but she was inspired, and promised herself that she would rescue Aang.

Zuko slid next to her on the saddle and stared her in the face; she blushed, remembering the previous night. They'd shared quite the kiss, and it was obvious that he was going to talk about it. She braced herself, ignoring the fact that her stomach dropped and her heart leaped simultaneously – a bad thing and a good thing, this was. _We'd have to talk about it sooner or later,_ she thought, staring back at the prince with a newfound calm.

He was stammering and hadn't really said anything important yet. She could tell that he had never tried to have a conversation like this, but she didn't move to interrupt him. Zuko was saying what needed to be said; she just hoped that it was what she wanted to hear.

"I-I don't think it was a good choice," mumbled the firebender as he looked away. "I mean, it was, uh, enjoyable, but—"

"I understand," Katara said, giving him the relief of not having to finish that incredibly awkward sentence. "And I agree, too."

Zuko breathed out heavily. "Really?" He still couldn't look at her; not because he was ashamed or embarrassed of what they'd done, but because the wind was blowing directly in his eyes and he wasn't exactly sure whether her feelings were hurt or not.

The waterbender confirmed that her feelings were indeed not hurt by smiling at him, then laughing as he blushed. "Really," she said. "It was a 'the-heat-of-the-moment' sort of thing. No harm done, right?"

"Right," he agreed, nodding vigorously. Somehow still, he couldn't quite shake the memory of the night before from his mind, but he said nothing, watching her profile as she gazed towards the sun.

Katara blinked and tried not to notice the weight of Zuko's eyes upon her face. It had been awhile since they'd taken off that morning; now the sun wasn't overhead anymore. Instead, it was setting, making the sky a bright red-orange.

She stared at the clouds and the sea below her, trying to purge her own memories of the previous night by pondering what might've happened if she'd stayed at the temple; if she'd been with her friends when they were caught. Would they have stood more of a chance? Would they have stood less of a chance? Katara didn't know, and that was what frightened her most.

Glancing at Zuko, she cleared her throat and said, "Are you getting tired?"

"No," he said slowly, as if he wasn't really sure. And he wasn't; the prince could see the shore of the nearest Earth Kingdom towns and villages on the horizon, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to wait until he saw his uncle to sleep, or to take a quick nap before he arrived.

Ultimately, he decided to stay awake, and they were getting closer and closer to the big city. He remained silent as they passed over houses and people alike, watching the little figures hustling and bustling about around town, trying to get everything done before nightfall.

The prince smiled lazily, trying not to doze off until Katara gave him something to focus on. Unfortunately, it was an uncomfortable subject, but it allowed him to stay conscious.

"Why didn't you just tell me what your plans with Aang were, when we got away from June the first time?" Katara asked quietly.

Almost too tired to even respond, Zuko figured he could do it honestly. Looking at her for a moment, he said, "I guess…I guess I was a little embarrassed. I wasn't sure if you guys would let me join you after…" he trailed off, looking away.

"Well, you were right," she replied, laughing. "I wasn't going to let you anywhere near Aang."

"I know," he said. "But now you will?"

She looked at him with a glint in her eye, as if she were hiding something. Nodding, Katara said, "Like I said, you're not so bad."

The firebender sat up, staring at the girl in front of him as if she'd just grown a third arm. "_You're_ actually going to try and help me? After everything I did?"

"You've changed," she sighed. "I can see it. It's in the way you talk. You don't talk about him like he's an object to be obtained, but rather a person to befriend."

Zuko blinked. "I really did think of him as an object, didn't I?"

Katara nodded. "Also, he actually does need a firebending teacher. As much as I hate to admit, I'm pretty sure you're the only one who's available to teach him. We don't exactly have enough time to wander around the whole of the Fire Nation looking for a firebender that _won't_ report the Avatar's presence to the palace…"

"So it's my lucky day," Zuko joked, smiling. "Except for the part where you don't trust me."

The lightness of the air around them turned into a sober mood, and Katara looked at the prince grimly. "I don't," she admitted. "I mean, you tried to hurt Aang and the rest of us on multiple occasions. I know you had your reasons, but…I have _mine._"

"I understand," Zuko replied, his voice rasping as if he'd spent his entire life inhaling the smoke that came away whenever he raised a fiery hand to something that he hated. "It's astonishing, how much I understand."

She could hear it in his voice, see it in his eyes; Zuko was desperately clinging to anything that he thought would redeem the awful things he'd done. Remembering the way he'd felt against her last night, Katara shuddered with something that stood between sympathy and empathy.

She remembered his mouth, angry as it met with her own. His lips had been hungry, heavy on hers just as his heart was weighed down. She could feel the burden he bore, just as easily as she was being crushed underneath her own uncertainty.

Katara could shrug and the weight of her small, fragile world would roll around on her shoulders, but it stayed the same. The price stayed the same; she worried, she feared, she doubted, she cried. Try as she might, she could not escape from the responsibility that had been forced onto her with the discovery of Aang.

It wasn't a bad responsibility, but it was costly. And she understood wholeheartedly that Zuko carried a burden similar in size to her own, but it was filled with more guilt and lies than she could ever dream of.

_The Fire Nation killed my mother,_ she used to say. But, looking at Zuko, the prince of the Fire Nation (banished as he may be), she amended that previous mantra. Something like compassion crawled up through her lungs and into her throat, and she thought, _No. The Fire _Lord_ killed my mother._

The most amazing thing she realized that day, though, was the fact that Zuko was Ozai's son. It was beyond her, how such an awful, evil man could have created such a beautiful boy.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hey guys XD I just wanted to say, thank you for all of the reviews/follows/favorites. I wouldn't be as inspired to write this if you guys weren't being so awesome. I know that this chapter will probably seem like a lot is being swept under the rug, but that'll be taken care of in the next chapter ;)


	10. Through the Air of the Night

He laid back against the pillow of a bed in Ba Sing Se, and he closed his eyes, safe with the knowledge that he was under the same roof as his uncle once again. Uncle Iroh had said they'd talk tomorrow when he saw the kids' faces; they were exhausted beyond belief and he'd ushered them upstairs and into separate bedrooms.

Zuko laid back against the pillow of a bed in Ba Sing Se, and he opened his eyes; they stung with the afterimage of Mai burned onto the backs of his eyelids. A thousand and one thoughts ran through his mind. A million and two memories caressed his skin, as soft as her fingertips, as soft as her lips.

This was something he'd been putting off. This was something he'd tried his best to avoid altogether. He'd told himself that he didn't _need _to get over her, because there was nothing to get over, nothing to miss.

Oh, how very wrong he'd been.

He thought of Mai like he thought of the sun. She was something that was always there in the back of his mind, like the sun was always in the sky, even when it was dark. Mai could be on the other side of the world, but Zuko would still feel her presence next to him, in the nighttime.

He thought of Katara and the kiss and what it meant, because it was more than just what she'd brushed it off as: a heat-of-the-moment ordeal. He knew it, he knew _she_ knew it, and something like anger filled his bones as he tossed and turned under the thin green sheets.

Mai'd seen them. She'd seen them kissing, maybe even dancing. He hadn't asked her how long she'd been there. How long she'd been just a little ways away, watching from the distance as he felt she was always doing nowadays.

Azula didn't let her out of her sight too much; his sister believed that herself, Mai, and Ty Lee were some kind of bound trinity, and she enforced that with having them at her flanks every step of the way.

He knew Mai didn't say anything; _couldn't_ say anything, because she was the General's daughter and a real friend of Azula's, distant as she was. Mai was a gray character, but she wasn't boring, not at all. That was what he loved most about her; her quiet passion.

Where Mai's passion was quiet, Katara's passion was loud and red and violent and heavy, a lot like the dancing balls that he'd heard his parents throw when he was supposed to be sleeping. He'd heard important feet dancing in the rooms below him, and right now, the memory of those thudding footsteps was as loud as the pounding in his head.

It wasn't like he hadn't agreed to overlook the kiss. In fact, he'd been happy to brush it off…at the time. He kicked himself for not saying something more and allowing Katara to act like it was nothing; because _he_ knew, and _she_ knew, that it was more than _nothing._

But there was more for the prince to deal with than kisses and girls; more for him to worry about than someone else's feelings. He thought of his uncle and what Iroh would say tomorrow, squeezing his eyes closed in a half-hearted attempt at sleep.

_What's so important?_ He thought, opening his eyes again and turning onto his back. It was a half-moon tonight but there were still bright moonbeams falling through his window; he glanced out at the night sky and tried not to think of Katara.

Uncle Iroh would be waiting in the morning, and Zuko was positive that whatever the ex-General had to say, it was about his sister.

Azula was black and red and bloody and evil; insane, like his father. He remembered when he'd shared the same madness, the same bloodlust and the same craving for dominance. Everything had always been just out of reach for him, but for Azula, anything that could be acquired or achieved had always longed to be in her hands.

His father was the same way; terrifying and electric and burning like a fire that never went out, like the fire that surrounded the Fire Lord's black throne. _Being born into royalty has its perks,_ thought Zuko,_ but the price we pay is insanity. _

The prince rolled onto his stomach and smothered himself against his pillow, groaning inwardly at the insomnia that never seemed to let him out of its grasp. He was able to push away his doubts when the sun was up, when he was _strong,_ but it was nighttime, dark out, and he was vulnerable as ever.

_How am I supposed to teach the Avatar if Azula's got him?_ he thought, gripping the sheet that covered his shoulders in his fingers until it was wrinkled. _How am I supposed to defeat my father if it's just me and Katara? We don't stand a chance by ourselves._

His imagination forced upon him the thoughts of the waterbender bathed in blood, Fire Nation red, at the feet of his father, and he knew that he had to save her. Save the Avatar and his friends. It was all Zuko could do, if he ever wanted to save _himself._

_But the price we pay is insanity. _

Madness filled his veins and evaporated off of his skin as he tossed and turned; the moon shifted its look on the Earth and somehow still, the prince would not fall asleep.

_Mai,_ he thought. _I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I abandoned you. I left you on your own to deal with my sister and my father, when I'm the one who's related to them, when I'm the one who was supposed to take care of you. _

_Aang,_ he thought, gasping. _I finally know your name. I know what I've put you through, and I can barely expect you to allow me to be an alliance, but please. I'm not asking for forgiveness, just for redemption. I'm so, so sorry._

_Katara,_ he said, and her name, like water, ran over his tongue in a small, exasperated whisper. Desperation was not a part of noble blood, fine hair, and pale complexions, but he could taste it as well as he'd tasted ash the day of and the week after he received his scar. _I hope you can trust me. I don't know if I can even trust myself; I don't know what I'm even doing. I'm just trying to help, but everything I do only seems to make it worse. I'm sorry. I'm angry and I'm afraid and I hate myself and I'm not sure if I hate you or like you, but I'm sorry. I can't be better, but I can hope. _

He threw himself over in his bed and prayed that he wasn't waking the others; he couldn't deal with their questions and what his answers might be. Zuko just wanted to turn off his brain as easily as blowing out a candle, but he couldn't help but worry, worry, worry.

"Mai," he gasped aloud, remembering the smell of her hair and the taste of her tongue. "I'm sorry."

"Katara," he whispered again, throwing an arm over his eyes to try and block out the light; block out the heat of the nation of the sun that he was born into, born of and as. He was a prince. He was royalty, exiled as he might be, and this would be defined as cowardice. Still, his thoughts pressed on, as feverish as his lips did when he'd held the waterbender in his arms. "Katara," he said a third time, remembering her once-in-a-blue-moon eyes. His words were lost from him, and the anguish and fear took over him in one whooshing sweep.

Maybe a tear fell, or maybe it was just sweat, but the feeling was the same.

* * *

Katara stared, wide awake, at the ceiling as she cuddled up to her own exhaustion but still could not fall asleep. Her mind was running, jumping, racing over rocks and through trees, through the air of the night, and all she wanted was peace.

Peace with her thoughts and her goals, peace with her friends and with Zuko, odd as it may be; peace with the Fire Nation and the entire world.

There were decisions to be made, thoughts to be spoken aloud, dreams to be crushed and fulfilled. There was a war to win, both on the inside and outside, and once again, Katara found herself struggling in between what she feared and what she hoped.

Her eyes were hot with anger and maybe tears, but she blinked away the confusion and focused on what mattered most: Aang.

He was far away, and she was the one who put the distance between them. Through and through, it was always her fault that they were separated. Whether she said something he didn't want to hear and he took off with only his glider, or she got angry and left, it was always by her own instigation.

She was in a different city, on a different land mass, and she was miles away from Aang. Always thinking of them as close, she'd underestimated how far apart they were until there was actual, physical, solid distance between them.

And she was with Zuko. The banished prince of the Fire Nation who was, more or less, Aang's sworn enemy. But here she was, dancing with him and, for the love of Tui and La, _kissing_ him.

She wanted to believe that it didn't matter; that nothing mattered but Aang, but she was slowly discovering that there was more to life than being the Avatar's waterbending teacher. Katara was on her own with Zuko, but she was frightened as if it was only herself against the world.

For the first time in her life, she realized what Aang must've felt like. Having the world to face, whole nations awaiting your assistance – she squeezed her eyes closed and tried to think that she would act differently than Aang, with that burden.

Turning onto her right side, she stared out the window, and the sun must've been on the other side of the building, because it was pitch black outside. How desperately she needed the moon; how she wanted to be afraid of the night was inexplicably drawn to it.

Where there was darkness, there was Zuko. Zuko was the epitome of haunted. Haunted and haunting were two different things, but they were of the same effect when it came to Zuko and Katara. Meaning, of course, that while he had his demons and she had her demons, there was no doubt in her mind that she wasn't filled with his impression.

He was rich with money but poor with charisma; alone, solitary, singular, abandoned by his family. Katara tried to imagine the feelings that she would have if she were in his position; if her father and Sokka had pushed her out into the cold and branded her with a mark that she would bear all her life; a mark that said, "I am a reject."

She felt for Zuko in the most blind of ways, but the truth was that she wasn't blind at all. She could see everything that he could. Katara could almost wrap her arms around the angst that filled the prince, and while she could see it in his eyes and had tasted it on his tongue, she couldn't do a thing to stop it.

_Just another worry. Add Zuko to the list of problems to fret over. Go on, let yourself get close to him. Fear what he fears. Know what he knows. I dare you._

Her thoughts were venomous and she tried to push them away, but one could only do so much when it came to the things inside their head.

She wanted to leave, to run and to get away, but she had to stay. She knew it better than she knew herself; if she didn't take Zuko's offer of help – his lending hand, she wouldn't be able to accomplish the things that both she and Aang needed. He needed a firebending teacher, ultimately, but right now, what the Avatar needed was a hero.

_I can't be a hero. I can't be a savior if I can't even save myself, right?_ she thought, remembering her encounters with June. Both times, she hated herself for knowing, she'd needed her so-called worst enemy's help in escaping.

And now she needed him to help Aang, to help Toph…and to help Sokka.

Sokka was her brother and they were bonded like no one else; she cherished that bond even more, now that she realized what awful things could come between, could _separate _a brother and sister. Needless to say, that was all thanks to Zuko and his crazy sister.

She thought of what she could do to defeat Azula, and hated the fact that the answer was nothing. Longing for the days of her childhood when everything had been simple, when she'd had her _mother,_ Katara allowed a tear or two to slip down her cheeks.

_The Fire Lord killed my mother_, she thought, remembering the smell of the black snow that had covered the whole village. She had never really seen the Fire Lord, but she imagined he looked like Zuko and Azula – tall, with dark eyes and darker hair, pale skin, and clothed in Fire Nation red.

_Zuko may resemble his father, _she thought. _But he's different from him. He isn't as violent anymore, nor as angry or scary. _She wondered if he could be a real friend someday, and thought back to the kiss.

It mattered. Oh, how it mattered. Sure, she had liked boys, but she'd never felt _that_ way in the presence of one. The way that Zuko had held her, kissed her, touched her…she had felt womanly, for the first time. Not motherly; she felt like that all the time around her brother, Toph, and Aang.

She wondered vaguely if that was how Mai felt when she and Zuko had shared a special relationship. If Mai had kissed Zuko dully, or passionately – but it wasn't Katara's place to think of that, or even ask. _That was then,_ she told herself. _This is now._

But now, everything was falling to pieces and anyything she did hadn't stopped it. Drowning in her own uselessness, Katara wished that she could simply bend the flood of hate that filled her lungs away.

Hate. _Hate. _When had she begun to feel this much hate? Was it back home, when she'd taken on the duties that her mother had previously held? Or was it when she'd embarked on the Avatar's journey?

Aang was as alone as she felt, even if he was surrounded by friends. She knew without question that he would be the sole person to defeat the Fire Lord, and he was just a kid.

_He was just a kid._

And then there was her brother, who was so afraid yet so fearless. He held his sword and threw his boomerang, cracking jokes and looking after everyone despite his lazy attitude. The waterbender thought of Sokka; he who knew the risks but couldn't bend like anyone else – he who knew that all he could do was cut people open with a sword.

And with Sokka and Aang came Toph, whose own name even sounded tough. She was a smartass and was harsh with her sarcasm; it made up for any pity that she got for being blind. Toph had done well on her own, and she'd joined up with Aang's team to teach him how to earthbend. Katara was so, so grateful for Toph, even though she didn't show it, because while Toph was a true friend, she had also given the group two master earthbenders.

Toph and Sokka were the funny ones, and Katara didn't cry over the fact that she constantly had to mother them. In fact, annoyed as she sometimes was, she rather enjoyed it.

Aang was the child of the group, but Katara didn't see that as a problem. For Tui's sake, the kid was twelve and had been frozen for one hundred years. He needed room to grow, especially now more than ever, because so much was being placed upon his shoulders.

She tried to ease the burden, lift the weight some of the time so he didn't have to grow up as harshly as she did, but it was no use. Whenever things got to looking good, a crazy princess or an angry pack of villagers would tear Katara's friends down; tear the group apart.

Another thing that would deepen the wedge between her and the others was her newfound ally; imagining their reactions to Zuko and her support of the firebender as Aang's teacher, Katara feared that they could somehow come to accept Zuko as she herself was learning how to do.

The war came from his nation, but not from him personally – not anymore. Her father and his father were two different things, and they'd been raised with different parental personalities. No mothers and fathers whose lives were invested with the war, one family leading one side and the other barely a drop in the ocean of families who were desperately trying to fight back.

Katara turned onto her back again, trying to ignore her stinging eyelids. She remembered the burning memory of Azula capturing her friends – no, they were more than friends now. They were Katara's _family._

Katara had no one, but she had Zuko, and for some reason, that was enough to hold her over until the dawn. She prayed that she could believe in him, that he wouldn't betray her, and something told her that this was a feeling to go with.

* * *

The sun rose and so did their bodies; their rooms and moods beginning to lighten up. Katara hoped what Zuko's uncle had to say was important, and Zuko knew that whatever path that Iroh pointed them down, he could trust the old man.

They descended the stairs, walking into the back room of the place that Iroh was currently residing in, and their eyes met his as he gestured for them to sit down.

Looking them over, one by one, he said, "I suppose it's time to tell you about the Order of the White Lotus."

* * *

**Author's Note: **I was kind of really iffy about this chapter and the last, but I know how I want to continue the story now, and I actually feel pretty confident about how I wanna end it (I'm not saying it's ending _soon_, by the way - I've got like 12 more chapters mapped out). So I hope you're okay with this, because I feel like it's okay for what's about to happen. :) As always, reviews are encouragement and help me better the stories that I write. Thanks for reading this far, and I hope you continue to the end!


	11. Trust

"I don't mean to be rude," said Katara after Iroh had told them everything they needed to know about the Order of the White Lotus, "but, was that the only reason you asked us to come here?"

Zuko and Iroh sighed in unison, and they sounded so much alike that they could've been father and son. On further observation, Katara realized that they _were_ father and son, even though their blood said that they were uncle and nephew.

Uncle Iroh had clearly raised Zuko to be the person he was today, and Katara shuddered at the thought of Fire Lord Ozai having taken so much care into bringing up his son. Maybe Zuko's morals would've saved him, but she could tell that the firebender would've been a lot harsher and more vehement in his actions to capture Aang.

_He might've even killed me,_ she thought, remembering the times in the North and under Ba Sing Se. _He might've even killed Aang._

She dazed off, horrified at all the things Zuko _hadn't _done – not that she wanted him to have done them, but the fact that they were so horribly…_horrible_ made her _that _much more thankful for the boy who was standing next to her now.

"No," said Zuko's uncle. "That isn't the only reason." He coughed a bit, covering his mouth with his hand and looking away from Zuko and Katara.

Brought back from her reverie, the waterbender watched him in silence as she waited for him to continue. She took a sip of the tea which Iroh had so graciously made for her; Zuko had finished his in one huge gulp.

The old man was wise, and where he lacked the stereotypical long white beard to prove it, his voice completely made up for it. "I have a few friends who are posing as loyal to my brother," Zuko's uncle began. "They've been feeding me information about his plans of attack. There are still parts of each nation that need a little convincing…"

"The Southern Water Tribe," Katara whispered, her hands covering her mouth in horror. "And the North, too?"

"Obviously," Zuko said. "So what do you want us to do?" Gesturing to himself and Katara, he raised his eyebrows at his uncle.

Iroh's face darkened. "It's up to you, Zuko. But…they need saving. They are unaware, as far as I know, and the only people who can help are…well, _you."_

Katara was filled with fury. Anger welled in her chest and bloomed, spreading through her veins and mixing with adrenaline. Her first instinct was to go, to warn her people, but she wavered with the thought of the Avatar – clearly, when Zuko's uncle had said that they were the only people who could help, he'd been talking about Aang as well.

She steeled herself, gritting her teeth and trying to unclench her fists. "We get Aang first," she declared.

"No! It'll take too long. We'll be too late—" Zuko tried to reason, but he was cut off with Katara's next sentence.

"We can't fend off a whole Fire Nation army!" She turned to the ex-prince, eyes flaring, and crossed her arms over her chest. "Look, I know we can do some damage when it's just the two of us, but a whole _nation? _We need Aang for that."

"But we can defend a small tribe," Zuko whispered, lowering his head and staring intently at her. "We can go South and save _your_ people first. I know better than anyone that the Northern Tribe can take care of themselves – you were _there,_" he urged.

Memories of his angered face and flashes of fire scattered across Katara's mind, and she knew he was right. She was able to match him when she'd been protecting Aang – she was _always _protecting Aang – and the North was filled with waterbenders.

But the South…She'd been one of the last waterbenders there. There was another, but one waterbender alone couldn't take on a whole Fire Nation fleet. Katara swallowed the fact that Zuko was right, wishing she'd waited to speak; thought over her options.

Some sort of cool resolve overtook her, and she braced herself, forcing herself to say what should've come naturally. "The water tribe first," she said, turning to stare at Zuko's uncle. Glancing at the boy next to her, she added, "_Then_ we rescue Aang."

"Right," Zuko agreed, nodding slightly. "And then we all can help with the Northern Tribe, and I imagine this place, too." He looked out the window at the evening version of Ba Sing Se, stiffening as two laughing children ran past. "They can't face another attack," he whispered. "I won't allow it."

_That's what I was going to say,_ thought Katara shrewdly. She was trying to be angry with Zuko, but, in staring at the prince, she couldn't remember why. Why was she trying to give him the cold shoulder? _It's not like he's just showed me up or anything. This isn't a game,_ she reasoned with herself.

Then, as Zuko breathed out a sigh, lips parting slightly, she realized: it was the kiss. _I'm angry about the kiss._ Flushing, Katara faced Iroh, trying to pay attention as he talked with his nephew about war strategies.

_Why am I upset about the kiss?_ she wondered. _We both agreed that it shouldn't have happened; that it didn't mean anything. So why…? _Her hand flew to the top of her chest, and she shuddered. _Why do I feel this _burning, _as if I'm being scalded from the inside out? Like I'm so freezing that my heart is catching fire?_

_This isn't what I need to focus on_, thought the waterbender. _This is definitely not what I need to focus on. I need to focus on…on Aang, and the war, and my _people.

Raising her chin in defiance against herself, she interrupted whatever Zuko was saying and said, "We leave tonight."

"Wh…_what?"_ Zuko asked incredulously, spinning to face her. "Katara, it's already nighttime! We'll need our rest—"

"Oh, I'm rested," she said, turning to walk towards the stairs. "You can sleep on the way, if you like." Leaving the room, she tasted the ash-snow in her mouth. She was sorry that she was being so hard and bitter, but she wasn't going to allow her emotions to get in the way. Not this time.

Even then, she knew that she now appreciated Zuko more. He seemed genuinely concerned for her people – more than _she'd_ been, she realized – and he wanted gain her faith and earn a place next to the Avatar.

She had her doubts, still, but she finally found that she could put a name to the burning sensation in her chest.

Trust.

* * *

Zuko stomped up the stairs after saying goodnight to his uncle. He approached Katara's door and knocked, and from inside, he heard the waterbender say, "What is it?"

Entering the room, he closed the door behind him and flicked flame towards the lantern that was hanging from the ceiling. A brief flash of Katara standing over him on the bed in the dark, trying to release a firefly, flooded through his memory, but he closed his eyes and told himself to focus. "What _is_ it?" he repeated, his previous anger coming alive again.

Katara was by the window, illuminated by the blueness of the night. There was barely a shred of moon in the sky, and he realized that they'd come together about fourteen days ago. Had it really been two weeks? It felt like a month or two had passed by.

She turned at him, staring blankly. "That's what I asked _you,_" she pointed out. Shifting, she turned and leaned against the wall next to the window, crossing her arms defensively.

"That's not what I meant," Zuko retorted.

"I certainly hope not." One of her eyebrows flicked upward in annoyance. "Zuko. _What is it."_

He couldn't help it; he chuckled. Dark and mirthless as it was, he found himself repeating "what izzit" under his breath. "You know what it is," he rasped, glaring at her across the room. "They'll attack the weaker points first, so I understand that you're in a rush, but…"

"But what?" Katara pressed on. "Are you trying to tell me, _don't_ rush to my people? _Don't _offer them help when they have no one to protect them?" She scoffed. "That may seem fitting to you, but you have to remember – _I_ haven't been outcast like you. _That tribe_ is my _family."_

He had nothing to say to that, because that wasn't the thing he wanted to argue about. With an awkward tension, he realized what it was: the kiss. His eyes ran over her face; her delicate brow and dainty nose, her round blue eyes, and her curvy mouth.

Remembering the feel of her against him, he sighed, his anger boiling with a different heat. "I shouldn't have come here," he said, turning to leave.

"I know what this is about, Zuko," Katara said hastily from behind him. He paused mid-step, glancing over his shoulder at her. Her face was lowered now, encased in shadow. Her expression was hidden, but the tone of her voice gave her away.

She was telling the truth.

"Do you?" he asked, facing her again. He mirrored her pose, crossing his arms. "Do you _really?"_

"Of course I do," she snapped. "I'm angry _too."_

Zuko accidentally giggled. "Angry," he repeated. "That's what you call it, huh?"

"What are you _talking_ about?" Katara hissed, stepping off of the wall. Her form became a silhouette.

"Nothing," he said, smirking and shrugging. "I just thought a better term for it would be _frustrated."_

The look on Katara's face was that of confusion, and he realized just how inexperienced she may be. He decided to leave it at that, for the sake of not wanting to be asked awkward questions. There were a couple years between them, and that didn't mean much, but her culture was different, after all.

She brushed it off. "Whatever," she said, waving a hand. "We've already cleaned it up, right? So there's nothing to go on being _frustrated_ about." She rolled her eyes and Zuko had to stifle another laugh; she had _absolutely no idea_ what he meant.

At the same time, he was filled with anger. How could she dismiss it so easily? How could _he?_ They'd _felt_ something. Both of them, he knew it. And he knew that she was being honest when she'd said she was 'angry' too. He knew that this was…what were the words Azula liked to use whenever she came home from beach parties? _Unfinished business?_

Deciding not to obsess over it, he was caught off guard as his rage took over him. "There _is_ something," he hissed. "You and I _both_ know it."

Katara choked on whatever protest that had been coming; he was right. Swallowing hard, she walked over to the small table beside her bed then paused, unable to remember why she'd gone there. "I refuse to do anything about it," said a voice, and with a small intake of breath, she realized it was hers.

"Is it because of the Avatar?" came Zuko's harsh reply. She flinched, but mulled over the idea. Of course Aang had something to do with it; he always did. She wasn't sure of her feelings for him like he was for her, but she knew that whatever she felt for him and whatever she felt for Zuko were _very _different.

"Yes and no," she replied icily. There was no reason to be dishonest; not now.

Zuko closed his eyes. Her words twisted the growing knot in his stomach, and he felt the blood rush away from his face.

"But," she went on, realizing just how risky she was being. She wasn't even _sure_ of these feelings. "I know that…there _is_ something," she said, repeating his earlier words. "There is _something,_ and…it keeps getting stronger."

"Me too," he said quietly. "Me too."

Turning to face him, she said, "What?"

"It's…you're…stronger in me, too," Zuko mumbled, his eyebrows twisting upward as he tried to explain. "I can't tell if it…hurts on its own, or if I just like…giving myself pain."

"You don't have to," Katara whispered. "We can…"

"No," he interrupted, his voice dark but clear. "We _can't._ You said so yourself."

"No, Zuko, we _can_," she said, hope involuntarily sparking to life inside her. "You're _wrong,_ we can—"

"It doesn't matter!" Zuko snarled suddenly, raising his head to glare at her with a cold fury.

"What?" she said, taken aback. That spark disappeared, and her anger rose to match his. She was suddenly seething, and she balled up her fists as she asked, "_What _did you say?"

"You heard me," he growled. His feet carried him forward until he was face-to-face with her; she backpedaled until she hit the wall behind her.

"I-I don't understand," she yelled. "How could you – you said—"

"_You're_ the one who said it didn't _matter!"_ Zuko shouted.

"I _lied!" _she screamed back.

She regretted it the instant the words tumbled out of her mouth, but alas; it was too late, and the damage was already done. Katara could see the hurt take over the prince's face, just for a brief moment, before vanishing and transforming into a mask that could hide more than that of the Blue Spirit.

His hands pounded into the wall behind her, trapping her in between his arms. The heels of those hands turned the wall a crispy ash color, and Katara almost sneezed at the sudden smell of smoke. They stared angrily at each other, hotheaded and hot in other places; both refusing to say anything.

Zuko decided that Katara _definitely_ should be a firebender. Leaning his head forward, just for the pleasure of indulging in something he'd banned himself against, he glared harder into those once-in-a-blue-moon eyes.

Katara found herself reacting to his body in more ways than one, but the most prominent way was the fact that her head tilted upward, synchronized with his turning down. She inhaled quietly but sharply, holding her breath, standing on her toes slightly as Zuko leaned even closer.

He could feel the electricity between her mouth and his, and if he just moved a _tiny_ but further…

"You're the one who said it didn't matter," Zuko repeated, his accusation taking the form that would hurt her most: a small, insignificant whisper. His breath caressed her cheek and she realized _that _much more, how painfully close he was.

_I want to touch him, now more than ever, but _now,_ more than _ever_, I can't._

Backing away and straightening, he grunted in defeat and spun on his heel. He didn't mention that he heard Katara start to breathe again, or that he heard her slump downwards against the wall as he left the room; or that he heard the small sob that escaped her lips before she dissolved into tears.

* * *

When the sun was completely down, they met at Appa, not saying a word to each other. Contempt and guilt and resolve washed over both of them in waves, driving a wedge between the tentative friendship that had formed over the past couple weeks.

Neither of them wanted to cry craven, and it was understood that they wouldn't be talking until who knew when. Zuko's pride was what kept him awake as Katara took Appa's reins yet again; they began to fly over the cold ocean.

Katara bit back tears that both came from the jumbled mess inside her heart and the freezing wind that hit her face. She was hurt and afraid and confused and bewildered, but she'd expected it. She'd expected it more than anything.

Still…What shocked her most was that the small, burning trust was still there.

_The trust was still there._

* * *

**Author's note:** I hope this was satisfying! There's nothing like some good angst fic, right? And there's more to come, with the next chapter. Also, there'll be cameos from the rest of the Gaang, yay! :D Anyways, I'll try to update next weekend. My birthday is Saturday, but I'll try and use Sunday to write and publish. As always, reviews are peaches and cream! 3


	12. The Promise of Hope

It was the darkest night Katara had ever seen.

She was shivering beyond control; her bones were rattling in her skin. She wished she'd maybe taken a blanket with her, because she was still in her sleeveless top, with her stomach bare as well.

Although she was still angry, still confused, she wanted to ask Zuko to make some heat happen, but every time she tried to plan what she would say to him in her head, she sounded more and more idiotic.

A tear or two managed to escape her eyes, but she wasn't willing to believe that she was crying. _It's just cold_, she told herself. _I'm cold._

She didn't want to acknowledge the fact that she missed the Fire Nation's heat – it was always better to be warm than cold – and she felt ashamed that the time spent traveling with Aang had softened her toughness towards the wintry North.

_I'm rushing things,_ some part of her mind spoke out. Katara had no idea where the thought came from, but she knew without doubt that it was true. She'd been counting the days as best she could, and she filled with contempt when she realized that she and Zuko had dragged each other to various places; the most extreme being traveling to Ba Sing Se overnight.

Now they – _she_ was attempting to do the same, but this time the Southern Water Tribe was her destination. More water went down her cheeks, and she was thankful that the temperature wasn't freezing. _If I had my Water Tribe clothes, I'd be fine,_ she grouched.

Aaaand she was crying. She couldn't blame it on the wind hitting her face any longer, because real tears were now gushing out of her eyes. Gripping the reins in her hands, she pressed Appa onward, not wanting to give herself away to Zuko.

The prince was sitting behind her. Even though he hadn't said a word, she knew he wasn't asleep. _And he's probably keeping himself warm,_ she thought bitterly. She gritted her teeth and huddled closer to Appa, trying to make it look like she was concentrating.

Brushing aside the idea that she was failing to convince him – if he was even looking at her – Katara's pride backlashed on her. Fighting against a dangerous shiver, she tried to wipe her eyes inconspicuously.

Pretending to tuck her hair behind her ears, she scrubbed her hand under each of her eyes. _It's windy,_ she thought. If Zuko had noticed her crying at all, she was grateful that he wasn't saying anything.

"Are you cold?" Zuko asked.

_Woops. Spoke too soon._

She lowered her head, trying to think of an answer that would be both logical and convincing. _No_ would be completely transparent; if Zuko was asking, then he must've been cold, too.

Katara could feel his eyes on her and knew that he probably saw her shaking. _A little bit_ would've been see-through, too, then. She ruled out all her options and squeezed her eyes shut in hatred for herself, then said, "Yeah."

She cleared her throat and was surprised to feel a blast of hot air come her way. It hit her back and blew her hair over her shoulders, and although it was warm, it only lasted a moment. The place where her hair had been resting against her back was instantly cold, and she shuddered in delight at being warm, even if it was just for a fleeting second.

"Thanks," she managed, her voice weak. She was worn out from everything that had happened – not just over the past two weeks, but over the entire time she'd known Aang. And as everyone kept telling her, everything that she'd experienced was all leading up to the _biggest _thing – Sozin's comet.

She felt Zuko's weight roll towards her in Appa's saddle, and flinched as his voice came from closer than she expected. He was sitting to her right, not close enough to touch, but he spoke quietly and he was close enough to hear. "Where are we?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. Zuko breathed more steam and her back muscles clenched as it hit her. "Look, Zuko, I d-don't wanna talk…"

"You don't have to talk," Zuko said to her relief. He blew more air at her, and in between breaths he added, "But I will."

Katara forced herself not to groan; now was not the time to be rude. She was too cold and too exhausted and too frazzled. Another tear slipped down her cheek and she prayed that he wouldn't notice it.

"I'm sorry," Zuko began. He exhaled again and she turned her face away, wiping the itchy tear stains away as she once again pretended to brush her hair back.

"What are you apologizing for?" she whispered, unable to look at him even though she so desperately wanted to. Was he smug, or sullen? Did he have tears in _his_ eyes?

"Everything, I suppose," he said thoughtfully. Katara was outraged at him for sounding so damn content, but she didn't dare speak, for fear that her voice might break and her breath might hitch, and she might find herself falling towards him, searching for comfort that he might not give and that she _knew_ she didn't deserve.

Her silence didn't register to him, because he went on speaking as if she'd told him to. Closing her eyes, Katara couldn't do much more than listen as he said, "I'm sorry for trying to hurt you guys. You and the Avatar especially, though; I had the most run-ins with you two."

She shifted her weight and was almost able to glance at him, but lost what little nerve she had at the moment. Zuko continued, "I'm sorry for trying to kill you in the North. I'm sorry for abducting…Aang. I'm sorry for disappointing my uncle and siding with Azula in Ba Sing Se."

"I…" she began, but his next steam exhalation took away her words.

"Let me finish, please," he said calmly. "I need to do this."

"Okay," she whispered, nodding.

Zuko cleared his throat and spoke up a little. "I'm…also sorry for making you stay with me. I'm not sure how it would've played out if you'd been with your friends when my sister came along, but I can tell how much you miss them."

Her head bobbed up and down again; her silent way of telling him that she was listening.

"I'm sorry for allowing us to get captured by June after I got you away the first time," Zuko went on.

"That's not your fault," Katara said. She was beginning to warm up without his aid, but was still glad that he was…breathing on her.

"I'm still apologizing for it," he replied. "And I'm sorry for asking you to come with me to see my uncle. I know he probably didn't seem like a lot of help to you, but he was to _me._ And he was the 'new bidder' that June was talking about – remember? He asked her to find me, and she found me with you, so she told him that, and he added you in as well."

"Why?" Katara asked, taken aback. She hadn't known that at all, but she wished that she did so she could've thanked Zuko's uncle while she was around him.

"I don't know," Zuko said. His weight rotated a little to the right of her, and his voice was closer the next time he spoke. "I suppose it was because June mentioned all the trouble I went to escape you from her, the first time. He probably thought I had business with you, and he was right."

Katara pondered that idea, then shrugged. "I'll have to thank him," she said, although Iroh's plan hadn't actually worked out. Maybe if June hadn't been so horrible and actually told them what was going on, Zuko and Katara would've gone with her willingly. It definitely would've saved some time.

"Me too," Zuko agreed. "I forgot to. But that's not the point."

"The point?" Katara repeated, finally getting up the gall to spare a peek at him. His amber-colored eyes were burning with something she didn't recognize, and he was staring straight through her. Gulping, she turned her face away again.

"The point of this conversation," he supplied, breathing outwards again.

"And what's that?" she asked, trying not to sound pushy. Both of their feelings and tempers were too delicate right now to deal with each other's usual rushing habits. And her mother had always told her not to pry; she'd done so anyway, but now she finally realized what her mother had meant.

Subliminally, she knew what the answer was, but her conscious mind was too proud, too _afraid_ to think for one moment that she might be right…but she _was._

"The point," Zuko said, his words suddenly choppy, "is that I'm _not_ sorry for…kissing you. I wasn't when I said that it was fine. And what I'm really sorry about is that I said it was fine, even though it wasn't. It's not," he added.

Katara would've liked to pretend that she didn't understand, but she did. Oh, she did. And she swallowed the lump that had risen in her throat, blinking away more tears, and said, "I'm sorry too."

"I know," Zuko said. "And I think _you_ should know that I don't regret it. I don't wish to take it back. I just think we weren't…ready."

She couldn't even fathom all the things that were loaded into those sentences, but she felt the chip fall off of her shoulder, taking a shard of her freezing, burning heart with it. Steeling herself, she tried to breathe slowly, tried to keep her tears from him.

His voice came from a little farther back from before, and she realized he'd probably just turned his head. But what mattered was what he said, because that was the thing that made her break down. What he said was, "And, Katara…? I'm sorry for making you cry."

Her heart seized up and her brain did too; her hands tightened as she bent forward and choked on the lump of tears that was her throat. Katara sobbed once, and she felt Zuko's weight come closer, felt his hand on the small of her back, and she wanted so badly to slap it away, to push _him_ away, but she couldn't bring herself to do so.

Taking her arm, Zuko guided her backwards, wrapping her in his own arms against his chest. He tucked her head under his chin and exhaled steam over the both of them, shuddering at the heat when she did.

Katara squeezed her eyes shut and covered her face with her hands as sob after sob racked her body; she knew she shouldn't be crying so hard, not over _this._ She attempted to sit up and away from Zuko, but she was so _exhausted, _and he was so warm…

"Why do you have to be the bigger person?" she asked through her tears, once again unable to open her eyes and look at him. His arms and chest stiffened around her, but she knew that he was only confused, not angry. "It seems like you've only been right, these past couple weeks. And I want to know why," she pressed on, pausing to breathe in those short gasps that overtake everyone when they're having a good cry.

"I'm not," Zuko said, answering both questions at the same time. "You know I'm not."

Katara could only shake her head, thinking of how _unfair _this was to him – he'd been hurt more than she had, but somehow still, _he _was the one comforting _her?_ "Why are you so forgiving? Why aren't you the way I remember you?" she got out, even though she was done asking him these questions.

They felt like accusations to her, but she couldn't stop herself from saying, "You're too…you're too _kind._"

Zuko wasn't sure whether or not she wanted him to answer her questions, because by this point, she was blubbering, but he did anyway. "I don't think I'm particularly forgiving," he said. "Nor do I think I'm kind."

Katara took her hands away from her face, stealing a peek at him from behind her fingers, and then tried once again to wiggle out of his embrace. "You're supposed to be awful," she blurted despite herself, even though she was starting to calm down. "Why don't I want to get away from you?"

He had no answer to either of those questions, and he let her go when he decided that the worst was over. It'd been a while since he'd seen a girl cry like that – Mai had never done so, Azula just _wouldn't_ cry, and Ty Lee was never serious. Thinking back to the times where he _had_ seen a girl cry like Katara just had, Zuko realized that it had been when he and Azula were only about five and four years old.

Having almost forgotten that there was a time when his younger sister was innocent and vulnerable, Zuko blanched at the wonders of how she got to be where she was today.

* * *

Sokka's eyes were sunken in and colored dark purple; the chains that bound his wrists to the post behind him dug into his flesh, making him bleed, but he'd gotten used to the pain. He was vigilant when it came to staying awake, but that didn't mean he wasn't exhausted.

Having no idea how many days had passed – and it had been so _long_, Sokka was feeling more and more helpless. He wished he could _bend,_ so he could make something move – _anything._ Aang breathed out huge, gusty sighs and Toph kept putting dents in the metal floor with her feet, but Sokka was only able to sit.

He felt the itch.

It was a deep, internal itch, way down in his gut, his organs. It filled him with a thing that felt like dread but wasn't. It twisted up his stomach so he could barely eat the rations that he was spoon-fed.

Sokka was embarrassed. Not just by being chained to a post and unable to help his friends for what felt like a week, but rather, the fact that he had to be fed like a mother would feed a baby – by the _enemy. _

He was humiliated, mortified, that he couldn't stand up and fight. He would struggle against his bonds and wrestle with the guards when they took him to the bathroom, but the strength that he had – the strength that was made up of good meals and confidence – was slowly diminishing.

Sokka felt that strength vanish like he'd felt Suki's absence. Sometimes he would think of her; if she was in a room like this, being beaten and chained just for him. No, he and his friends _hadn't_ been hurt other than the blisters made from the chains – it was odd. Azula would come in, smile wickedly, and then leave, sometimes taunting Aang, sometimes not saying anything.

Weakness and fright defined him now, and for that he was ashamed. Where was the man that his father had brought up? Where was the warrior that had brought _himself_ up when his father was away?

He wanted nothing more to be _home,_ to be _safe._ He wanted Suki, and he wanted Katara, and although he loved Aang and Toph, sometimes he imagined what it would be like for himself if he'd never met them.

Maybe he and Katara would've been better off, but something told him that sooner or later, the Fire Nation would've attacked, and Katara wouldn't be enough to defend the entire village. It was one thing to have strong men with swords, but against flame, against _benders_ in general, it was much harder. And the Fire Nation had a reputation for giving more than was welcome.

Gritting his teeth and pulling defiantly on his bonds – _still_, Sokka felt his face flush with a rage he'd grown accustomed to over his week or so in captivity. He glanced to his right, and Aang was asleep – how could the kid be asleep?

Toph was grunting quietly every now and then, tapping her feet on the ground and clenching her jaw in a different manner than Sokka – concentration. _Why can't I be putting myself to use?_ thought Sokka, pained at the fact that he was more or less useless.

_Why's it never me?_ he asked himself bitterly. _Why am I never the hero?_

Strong. He was supposed to be strong. He was supposed to be a fighter. It was in his blood. But his dignity was gone, taken away in the same chains that kept him on the floor. His heart was stone; his blood ice cold. It'd been a long time since he'd seen daylight, and a longer time since he'd felt needed.

_I'm the oldest._ _I'm supposed to look out for the youngsters. But look at me – Aang and Toph are chained up, probably feeling worse than I am, and Katara's gone. _Missing._ This is my responsibility, my duty to my father and to the world. But here I am, messing it up. I mess _everything_ up. _

Katara. He didn't know how long it'd been since he'd seen her, but he missed her like only a sibling could. It didn't matter whether or not they fought. It didn't matter whether or not they were always in sync with each other like other siblings sometimes were. What mattered was that they were supposed to _look after_ each other, take _care_ of each other. And yet all Sokka could think was that Katara had been right – they should've stuck with her at the temple.

Having no idea how they'd managed to get so far apart, Sokka thought of his father. _Show no fear,_ Hakoda had said when Sokka's training sword had wavered. _Have no doubts. _Every day, Sokka wished he could be his father; wise, decisive, and loved. A true leader.

Sokka slumped. His head hung low and he felt his hair flop forward; somehow it'd been shaken loose of its tie. A small tear escaped his eye, but he didn't move to brush it away. Some small amount of pride was birthed within him, from the memory of his father leaning down and telling him, _"Whoever said it wasn't manly to cry was a coward."_

And if anything, Sokka was not a coward.

The muscles in his jaw jumped, his whole _body_ jumped, aching for freedom. _Don't give up, don't back down. Strong like a fighter. Strong like a Water Tribe Warrior. _

"Guys," he said, eyeing the door. He didn't have to look to know Aang had awakened, and now the Avatar's and Toph's heads were both turned towards him.

"Yeah?" Aang squeaked.

"We're getting out of here." Sokka's face darkened with determination, and any thought of escape he'd had since being placed in the large cell, any _observation_, suddenly clicked together in his head. He'd formed bits and pieces, but now they all were fitting together, right into place, and he was growing hopeful; his strength had returned…If only his father could see him now.

"You said that yesterday," Toph grumbled. She was unable to see Sokka's malicious grin, but that didn't take away the strange vibes she got from his direction as he gave his retort.

"Today, I mean it."

Toph harrumphed, feigning disinterest, but secretly she wondered what Sokka had in mind. She wasn't sure if he was aware, but he mumbled every now and then; incoherent probably to Aang, but Toph understood, clear as a bell, what the older boy was saying.

_The lantern the door Toph the bracelet the chains metal floor wooden post no fire the lantern at sea Aang waterbender. _The words Toph knew better than to pay attention to were things like _Katara, Suki, Dad, _and _my fault._

Sokka was no longer slumped. Using his legs to wiggle himself around his post until he was facing his friends, he demanded, "Toph! You're trying to bend the metal, right?"

Toph shrugged. "I _can_ bend the metal," she replied indifferently. "A little bit."

"Then bend off the chains," Sokka ordered. "They're made of metal, right?"

"_Obvious_ly," said the earthbender, dragging out the word for emphasis. "But I'm not that good, yet." Her cheeks colored a slight pink, and she turned her face away so he wouldn't see. "Believe me, I'm working on it."

Sokka seemed unfazed by her confession. "Good! Keep working. I've got an idea," he said.

"Obviously," Toph muttered under her breath, twisting her hands around to grasp the cuffs that bound her to the pole behind her. Grunting, she squeezed and pulled, willing the metal to do as she pleased, but came away still chained.

There was, however, a slight dent in one of the chain links, from where she'd tried to pinch. The corners of her mouth turned up a little, and she set to pinching her chains.

Sokka focused his eyes on Aang, who was sitting and frowning at the floor. "Aang," he addressed, leaning forward intently. The Avatar turned to stare at Sokka, his big, gray-brown eyes becoming almost too wide. Sokka blinked, trying to think. Then, he opened his mouth. "How good of a waterbender are you, by now? You're pretty decent, right?"

"Katara says I'm a master," replied the boy, looking away. "I thought you would know that."

"Just checking," Sokka said. "Listen, do you think you could make an air bubble underwater for us to travel in?"

"Of course. But where would we _go?_"

Sokka was stumped for a moment. Running over the list titled Places We've Been that he'd made, he grimaced as he realized that there was, more or less, no place where they could both be safe with allies and hide successfully from Azula.

"And what about Katara?" Aang continued. "We don't know if she's on this same ship or not! They could be keeping her in another room and, and hiding her from us, and _hurting_ her, and—"

"Shut _up_," growled the older boy, waving his hand to both silence the Avatar and clear away the nasty thoughts about what might be happening to Katara. He tried to concentrate, but then his eyes found Aang's face once more; the airbender was staring at him oddly.

Then he realized just _what_ Aang was staring at. In fact, Sokka couldn't help but stare himself. His eyes found his hand, large and tan, and grew wide in complete surprise. Waving his hand around again, he stretched his arm outward and flexed his wrists, mouth falling open into a huge, unflattering gape.

He heard a small _clink_ and then lifted his other arm, staring helplessly at his hands, noticing the small trickles of blood that had dried along his arms, from the blistering of the shackles. "Toph," Sokka said, turning to stare at the earthbender, who was grinning from ear to ear. She wiggled her fingers in the air and chuckled, moving to Aang.

"How'd you do that so quickly?" breathed Sokka, still bewildered.

"All it needed was a little pinch," Toph replied offhandedly, as if she were instructing someone on how much flour to put into batter. "Literally."

"That's…amazing," Sokka said. "Wonderful."

"Why didn't you just do that _before?"_ asked Aang as soon as his own wrists were free. Bringing them to his chest, he rubbed at them and winced.

"Why don't you just _become _a master earthbender?" Toph hissed back, silencing the Avatar. The look he gave her in apology was one that said, _Touché. _

The three moved around the room, making sure there were no other possible exits rather than the door and the vent directly above it on the wall. There were a few empty crates that were so feeble, the wood couldn't even be used as clubs. All they really had were the lanterns, which were shaped like miniature torches with glass on the top.

"Do we get out now, or wait for them to come back and then get the jump on them?" Aang asked, stealing a peek into the air vent.

"That all depends on whether we can open the door," said Sokka. Shouldering past the younger boy, he placed his hand on the handle of the door, gripping it tightly in anticipation.

"It's a little too late for that," Toph chimed in. The boys turned to look at her, and she tapped the floor with her foot. "Someone's coming."

Hastily, the three scooted back to their posts, grabbing up their chains and making themselves look believable; vulnerable.

The large metal door creaked open, sending shivers down Sokka's spine, and he lowered his head, but raised his eyes to glare at whoever was stepping over the threshold. Glowering, he didn't have to act sullen as Ty Lee sashayed into the room, all smiles and giggles and waves.

"How's everybody doing?" she asked in a circus-y, fake voice. Smiling too widely, her eyes moved from each of the captives' faces to the next. Ty Lee then pretended to pout, placing her fists on her hips and sticking out her lower lip. "Come on," she began. "Some smiles wouldn't hurt!"

"Bite me," Toph snarled from the far right. Making a show of struggling against her chains, she lunged for Ty Lee.

"No!" Ty Lee mock-argued. "That's unladylike."

"Let us out," Aang ordered, shoving aside the girls' previous banter. Ty Lee's doll-like eyes snapped to him, and she grinned, shifting her weight around on her feet.

"That's actually what I'm here to talk to you about!" she said. "So be a good group of kids and listen up—"

"I'm _older_ than you!" Sokka hissed a little too quickly. Flushing, he chastised himself for finding such petty thing to say. Trying to cover it up, he said, "No one cares what you have to say. 'You'll never get away.' 'Your struggles are all futile.' We've heard it all before, from _Azula._" He spat the name as if it was a foul-tasting seed.

Frowning, Ty Lee shook her head. "Actually, _no._ But I understand where you're coming from."

"What?" Sokka asked. "That makes no sense. You couldn't _possibly _understand—"

"You know what I really hate?" Ty Lee interrupted. "Rude guests. But still, we manage to get a _lot_ of them. As if people don't have _any_ respect for the family who's trying to take over the world – and _winning."_

Sokka shut up. Not because he thought she was right, but instead because he found he had nothing to say to that.

"Thank you," said the girl. "Now." She cleared her throat, swallowing heavily and glancing at the door, as if she expected someone else to walk in behind her. "Um, I've just received word from Mai…"

"No one _cares,"_ Toph growled, and Sokka's head snapped towards the earthbender. She continued vehemently. "Either let us out, or _leave."_

"You're not exactly in a position to give orders, here," Ty Lee announced, looking down at Toph as if the younger girl were simply a fly. "What I was _saying_ was that I've just gotten a letter from Mai, you know, my friend…Well, she just talked to Zuko, and apparently he went to Ba Sing Se afterward."

Sokka rolled his eyes at her conversational tone, then watched as she examined her nails. Deciding that she wasn't going to continue unless pressured, he said, "_And?_ We care because…why?"

Ty Lee giggled as if he'd just told a joke. "Be-_cause,_ your little waterbender friend is with him!"

"_What?"_ Sokka and Aang shouted simultaneously.

The circus girl raised her hands, trying to hush them, and glanced again over her shoulder at the door. "Shh! Keep it _down!_ I'm not supposed to be here!"

Sokka's eyes narrowed in suspicion; this was getting to be a little too fishy for his detective tastes. "Then hurry it up," he muttered, wishing that she'd just get out of their sight already. "_Please."_

"Okay, okay, jeez," replied Ty Lee. "Well, Mai said that they seemed _cozy_, which I guess means that Zuko's turned to the _good_ side. But that other girl is with him and they went to go see General Iroh – he's Azula and Zuko's uncle – and I guess that's it?"

Groaning, Sokka slumped back against his post. He was getting tired of pretending to be shackled. All he wanted was to pummel Ty Lee hard enough to escape, but he doubted its possibility, since she was incredibly nimble.

"Why are you telling us this?" Aang asked, because Toph and Sokka were too annoyed to do so.

Ty Lee knelt, then sat with her legs crossed, almost directly in front of the younger boy. "Because Mai and I…we…uh…don't _follow_ Azula anymore."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Toph asked harshly. "You're still on her ship and doing her bidding. Liar."

"I'm not a liar!" Ty Lee protested, raising her hands, then awkwardly lowering them when she realized that Toph wouldn't see. "My alliance lies with Mai. She's my only _true_ friend. Azula's just…she just orders us around, like dogs. And we're sick of it."

"That's great," Aang said, trying his best to be nice and patient. "But still, what does that have to do with us?"

"It has _everything_ to do with you," Ty Lee said, eyes widening, like she was shocked that he hadn't understood her yet. She splayed her hands on the ground. "Listen! Here's me and Mai and Azula," she began, removing her shoe and setting it in front of her right knee. "And here's you guys," she added, taking her other shoe and placing it in front of her left knee.

Then she made a fist. "And this is Zuko!" she said cheerily, extending her index and middle fingers so that the figure had legs. She made it walk, from the left shoe to the right shoe. "See? He joined _you guys!"_

Sokka scoffed. "Please," he said. "I'm begging you, stop trying to be humorous. There's a reason you're not in the circus anymore, and your lack of funniness must be it."

"That's rude," Ty Lee replied, scowling. Jumping up, she slipped her feet back into her shoes and said, "The point is, that Mai loves Zuko, and she's chosen his side over Azula's."

"So all three of you just up and left the Princess?" Aang asked politely, his brow furrowing in confusion. "But you're still helping her!"

Crossing her arms defensively, Ty Lee said, "We have to protect ourselves."

"Well, thanks for the news! Now leave," Toph urged.

"Toph," Aang murmured. "She's trying to help us."

Smiling gratefully, Ty Lee winked at the young boy in front of her. "Avatar's intuition?" she guessed jokingly. Aang smiled half-heartedly up at her. Uncrossing her arms, the girl said, "Mai asked me to help you guys get out of here."

Astounded, Sokka blinked slowly. He hadn't expected this, from Princess Crazy's best friend of all people, but still, here it was, happening. But… "How do we know we can trust you?" he asked, testing the waters.

"I give you my word," Ty Lee said simply, as if it meant something. "You have to trust me. Otherwise, you won't be able to get out of here. And you won't find Zuko and the waterbender."

Grunting, Toph stood up, revealing her unbound arms to a distressingly unsurprised Ty Lee. Nonplussed, Toph strode over to the girl as the boys reluctantly blew their covers as well, and said, "We _obviously_ can get out of here. And the _waterbender?_ She has a _name._ And that's _Katara."_

Ty Lee's eyes went round with alarm, but she stayed quiet. Sokka approached the girls, checking on Aang over his shoulder before saying, "I don't like this."

"No one does," Toph replied sharply. "So just go back to your princess," she spat at the older girl standing next to her.

"Toph," Sokka said tiredly. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he stated, "We don't really have a choice." Feeling Toph's withering rage seep off of her skin, he added, "We don't know our way around here. And she can get us passage if we need any."

"No," the earthbender flat-out denied. "We can do it. By ourselves."

"You really can't—" began Ty Lee.

"Shut _up,"_ Toph ordered.

"She's right, Toph," Aang said with the same fatigue that Sokka carried in his own voice. The older boy was a little shocked that a kid so young and happy could sound that way, but then he realized that it was the cause of the war. It was too much stress for someone so young (even though, technically, Aang's age surpassed everyone else's by about a hundred years).

_You grew up too fast,_ Sokka thought sympathetically. _We all did._

"We'd better go," Ty Lee said nervously. "That is, if you'll follow me."

"I wouldn't count on it, sweetheart," Toph said fiercely.

And that was how they embarked on a heart-pounding mission through the inner corridors of the steam ship. Everything was made out of metal, and Sokka had to whisper to Toph to make sure that she didn't leave evidence of their passage.

It was hot and Sokka could feel every inch of himself emitting sweat, but he didn't complain as they followed Ty Lee through the halls. Behind her was Toph, and then Aang, with Sokka bringing up the rear.

The boat had obviously been docked, but Ty Lee said nothing about their whereabouts, and in fact, didn't say anything at all. She was frowning with concentration, and would wave them into an empty hall before inconspicuously taking out many of the guards that seemed to be wandering the ship in search of something to do.

"I told Azula they should go in pairs," she muttered under her breath, brushing her hands against her pants and stepping over the latest victim. "I told her that if they were by themselves, they'd be easier to get around. Maybe it was just fate that she didn't listen."

After a long and intense journey throughout the ship – the Avatar and his friends must've been at the very bottom – Ty Lee came to a staircase. Pressing a finger wordlessly to her lips, she crept up the stairs and opened what looked like two doors. They were built into the deck so that they flapped outward, and the girl had to check to make sure that they were clear of any soldier's view.

"Luckily for us, we're behind the room on top of the ship," she said, obviously having no knowledge of what anything on a boat was called. "It's shadowy and we'll make a nice, clean exit."

They jumped up onto the deck, lending each other a hand as they climbed out, and Sokka was relieved to see that Ty Lee was right. He tried to brush away the feeling of this all being too _easy_ and followed her towards the edge of the boat.

"Where's Azula?" he asked, unable to get rid of his suspicion. He calculated Ty Lee's mild reaction; the way her eyebrows went down and her eyes narrowed, her arms tightened and she glanced around as if she were equally suspicious.

"She had business on land," Ty Lee supplied. "And we have to _go_ before she gets back."

"I don't believe her, Sokka," Toph muttered to the left of the older boy. "This isn't right."

"I'm telling the truth!" said the other girl impatiently, once again throwing her hands up in surrender. "I just want to get you out of here, so I can get to Mai."

"I believe you," Aang said, and Sokka had the horrible realization that the Avatar was still too naïve to be a leader in this day and age. But, as it ended up, Ty Lee was indeed telling the truth, and they left the shadows of the boat via an air current provided by Aang.

Their feet daintily touched the ground; Sokka let go of Toph, who he'd clutched to him so she wouldn't panic with the suddenness of being airborne, as Ty Lee made a sound of interest and said, "Woah. That was _cool."_

"Thanks!" Aang said brightly, and the sun filtered through the clouds that had, unsuccessfully, lined up to block it out. Sokka stared up at the sky, and for the first time in two weeks, he was glad to see the light of day.

He felt the Fire Nation sun on his face with a pleasure that was one hair shy of excruciating pain. The hairs on his arms rose in the simple delight of the warmth whose cause wasn't a nearby fire.

It was the brightest day Sokka had ever seen.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Woahhh longest chapter so far. But I hope you're glad to see a little of the rest of the Gaang! The next chapter provides a lot of plot twists, so be ready :) Also, I just wanted to say that I'm really proud of the contrast in the first line of this chapter, and the last line. _"It was the darkest night Katara had ever seen." - "It was the brightest day Sokka had ever seen." _Because Katara and Sokka are both feeling like shit, but where Katara's losing faith, Sokka is clinging to his hope. I just wish that these days and nights were the hardest for the siblings in this story, buuuuuuuut unfortunately, most of the chapters from now until what I've planned for the end are pretty dark for them. Angst angst angst, y'know. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this and are looking forward to my next chapter! Reviews are always nice!


	13. A Ghost's Crime

The taste of salt danced across her tongue. Katara licked her lips again, removing the dried tears that had made tracks down from her eyes to her mouth. She could feel her eyes puffing up and felt mortified that she'd cried all over Zuko. Clearing her throat, she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He'd moved away again, and she figured that he thought it was best to give her some space.

_He's got some great intuition, there,_ she mused. _I never would've thought…_

Feeling a slight, chilly breeze brush past her hair, she realized that the coolness of the night had faded into the warmer dawn. Sure, she was still shivering, but the beauty of the morning overwhelmed her. Watching the sun rebirthed from the night as it was at the beginning of every day, her mind wandered briefly to the Fire Nation, to the last place she'd seen Aang.

If it was just becoming morning _here,_ that meant that it was almost midday _there_. She murmured a silent prayer to Tui and La, hoping that Aang, her brother, and Toph were sound if not safe. Unable to bear the thought of what Azula's imagination and several weapons could do to the Avatar and his friends, Katara desperately searched for an outlet.

"Zuko," said her mouth before her brain reminded her that this was an Awkward Silence. Cringing, she braced herself for his response. When none came, she peeked over her shoulder and saw that he was at the opposite end of the saddle; they were high enough in the sky that it was hard to hear one another, so she gulped and turned back around, grateful that her mistake had gone unnoticed.

Zuko shifted, gazing out and over the edge of the saddle. His amber-colored eyes drifted between the states of half-open and closed, but he wasn't tired anymore. He felt strangely about what had happened with Katara, and it felt like it had only happened moments ago – even though they'd covered a great distance in the long while since the incident – so Zuko decided not to say anything.

He wondered where he was getting all of this patience. It'd been there not only today, but the day before and the day before, and all the days counting back to the very first night they'd arrived at the Black Celebration.

_Do I understand more?_ he asked himself. _Or is it just that I've grown up a little since then?_A fresh, cool gust of wind hit his face, blowing his hair away from his forehead and causing him to flinch.

Not bothering to fix his hair, he continued his musings. Surely it hadn't been Katara that had forced the change in him, albeit that she was the only difference in his life, over the recent month.

Although she'd caused him quite a bit of hassle, Zuko actually found the waterbender's company soothing. Not that she was ever calm enough around him to make him calm as well. Instead, her presence eased the quietness, the loneliness of his solitary mission.

He didn't really know what he'd expected from the Avatar-plus-friends when he'd made the decision to help teach Aang, but friendship certainly wasn't on the list. He still feared it now, because he'd only managed to gain the alliance of one out of the four.

Sneaking a glance at Katara, he studied her dark brown hair as it floated in wisps around her; a silent, eerie dance. She seemed alright, but his eyes lingered beyond the limits of _merely checking on her._

He was frustrated and angry, but he hadn't been able to bring it up with her. Finding himself wanting to shake her and yell at her for all the _trouble_ she was stirring up inside of him, Zuko exhaled steam and put up with it, because he knew she was feeling the same way. She'd even _said_ so.

And that was the patience that surprised the ex-prince. Wondering vaguely how far he would need to be provoked before he snapped back at her, his eyes ran along her bare shoulders and the small of her back.

Zuko never really thought about it, but he knew that Katara and her friends had lived on their own for who knew how long. It was obvious that she was the 'mother' of the group; he could tell simply by the fact that she was worrying so much.

But the point was, even though he'd been doing the same thing with a lot less company, Zuko couldn't help but notice how small Katara was. He wasn't lying to himself; he was perfectly aware that he'd dropped muscle and fat since his departure from his previous companions – the soldiers on his boat in the beginning, and later on, his uncle, Iroh.

_I can get enough food on my own,_ he thought. _And enough money. But having all that…for four…that must be rough. _

Making a mental note to himself that when – _if_ – he was allowed to join their group, if they all managed to somehow get together where Azula couldn't find them and settle things, Zuko promised that he would help Katara with those chores. As far as he was certain, none of them worked for money, and although they had the Avatar on their side, getting food might still prove to be difficult.

But they all were pretty strong, and could always pull through. Zuko could tell by the fierce determination he always saw in their eyes when he and they crossed paths. Obviously, Katara, the Avatar, and company had been going at this for too long a time.

* * *

Ty Lee's feet were quiet as she made herself hidden amongst the trees on land. When she, Azula, and Mai had captured the Avatar, the earthbender, and the waterbender's brother, Azula had made plans for immediate departure, canceling any and all other business that she had on the island.

Unfortunately for Azula, she hadn't been able to figure out how long the Avatar had been on that island; she searched high and low, far and wide, but was unable to find a suitable living space for such an infamous little brat.

Ty Lee told the others this as they trailed along behind her; she'd fished Sokka's sword but not his boomerang out of a nearby crate, muttering something about the guards being sloppy, and handed it to him. He held it aloft and chopped at the wilderness when she asked him to, and although he listened to her, his eyes were sharp and untrusting.

She completely understood this and was okay with it, but Ty Lee could've done without the earthbender's snide comments. Couldn't the Earth Kingdom girl show some appreciation for her rescuer? Ty Lee much rather would've left Toph behind, but Toph could feel vibrations or something through the earth, and the Avatar was attempting to calm the waters between the two girls, so she let Toph stay.

Not that it mattered, because Toph probably would've followed them anyway.

Sokka couldn't help noticing the differences between the two girls – where Ty Lee was light and bouncy, Toph stomped around and glowered. He kept quiet, holding his sword between Ty Lee and Aang, so if she tried anything, he could get a good slice in before she rendered his limbs useless.

She plucked at twigs that caught in her braided hair, grumbling when she couldn't quite untangle them. The sun was high overhead and Ty Lee was sure that her scalp was getting sunburnt, but she didn't complain. Glancing over her shoulder at the airbender, she wondered vaguely if his tattoo was put there when he was born, or was with him when he was born.

_Since he's the very, very last airbender, he might not even know,_ she thought. Opening her mouth to speak, she asked, "How does that whole tattoo-y thing work?"

"What?" asked the earthbender girl.

"Hnngh. Is this really the time?" muttered the boy with the sword.

"You mean this?" Aang replied, running his hand over the top of his head, tracing the outline of his arrow with two fingers. Ty Lee caught a glimpse of the arrow tattooed on his hand when his sleeve pulled back.

"Yeah," she said. "Do you have those when you're born?"

Laughing, he shook his head. "No," he chuckled. "If we were born with tattoos, don't you think it'd be a little odd? They're not birthmarks."

"Oh," Ty Lee murmured, blushing a little. "Then how did you get them? Do…_did_ all Air Nomads have them?"

"The monks I knew did," replied the Avatar, sobering a little. When the Fire Nation girl looked at him, she was shocked at how much he'd gone from being a laughing kid to someone who looked wise and solemn. "They're a symbol of mastery," he explained. "For someone who masters the technique of airbending. Just like the other nations, some people aren't benders," he said, indicating her and Sokka. "So it's just the accomplished airbenders."

Holding up his hand, he counted on his fingers whilst listing off the names of everyone he'd known who'd had the arrows. "Monk Gyatso, Avatar Yangchen, Monk Tashi, Monk Pasang, Sister Iio…"

"Don't they teach you that in school?" Toph asked suddenly, facing Ty Lee. "You know, 'The Cultures and Traditions of People We've Slaughtered?' No?"

Ty Lee gaped at the earthbender, stammering in horror. "No," she confirmed, looking ashamed. "They…never stayed long enough to learn anything from the Nomads before they…"

"Committed genocide," Sokka finished vehemently, a dark look glittering in his blue eyes.

Looking away gravely, Ty Lee cleared her throat. "Yes."

Aang remained quiet, his eyes distant. There was no question as to what he was thinking about, and the others hushed their voices respectfully.

"The Fire Nation is a wicked, wicked people," Sokka muttered, turning away from Aang. "How could anyone do that to someone else?"

"They're _evil_," Toph hissed at him. "_That's _why."

"We're not evil!" Ty Lee protested, a look of annoyance flashing across her face. "Not all of us!"

"So you really haven't tried to kill us on multiple occasions?" asked Toph sardonically. The older girl flinched, flushing angrily.

"I think you'll find that most of _us_ are on your side," she said through her teeth, clenching and unclenching her fists. They'd stopped walking altogether, and she and Toph were currently staring each other down – er, at least she was staring at Toph.

"Really? You and _one_ friend." Toph's sarcasm was cutting, but Ty Lee mustered some courage. She'd lived long enough with six sisters to know how not to lose an argument.

"That's not true," she retorted. "Mai and I _are_ among those people, but there's also Zuko, General Iroh, and part of the public; some of the soldiers."

Toph threw her head back and let a howling bout of laughter out, then repeated the prince's name mockingly. "Zuko?" she snorted. "_Please."_

Aang sniffed at the air quietly, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Raising a hand to stop the ongoing argument, he addressed Ty Lee. "I thought you couldn't firebend."

"I can't," Ty Lee replied blankly, staring at him questioningly.

"Then why does it smell like—"

_Boom._ There was an explosion sound, like a canon firing, and without even looking at each other, the four teens simultaneously started to sprint away from the noise.

"What _was _that?" Toph shouted as the smell of smoke and burning material wafted through the air. She was running beside Aang, just a small distance away from Sokka and Ty Lee.

"Azula's _here!_ She's on the island!" Ty Lee yelled back, ducking behind Sokka under a low tree branch.

"It's gotta be her," the older boy growled, reaching back to take her arm and guiding her over a small stream. A memory flashed across his mind; ashes in the air, black snow falling from the sky.

He was nowhere near his home village, and there weren't any black specs floating down around him. Wondering why he'd recalled that certain memory, his eyes instinctively went to Aang.

The Avatar was running like there was no tomorrow, and that was good, because if Azula caught them, there probably wouldn't be. Beside him, Toph maneuvered quickly through the underbrush, passing trees like she wasn't blind. Even though he knew how she did it, Sokka was still amazed that the girl was better at getting around than people with sight.

The trees were burning now; the fire had caught up to the runners and Sokka began to panic. He was sweating already from sprinting and jumping, and now it was becoming awfully hot.

"Where are we?" He threw the question over his shoulder at Ty Lee, who was nimbly jumping over fallen tree trunks and bushes.

"Near Ba Sing Se," she managed, springing and grabbing ahold of a low branch so that she could land right next to him. Hitting the ground running, she said, "Azula came here for the Dai Li or something."

"Where's my sister?" was the next query that came out of the older boy's mouth. His eyes were hard and determined, and they burned bright blue as he realized how close he was, possibly, to Katara.

"Probably already _here,_" Ty Lee replied. "And she's with Zuko!"

Sokka said nothing to that; instead, he checked on Toph and Aang again before ducking over to the younger two. Ty Lee followed suit, keeping pace with him perfectly. They were nearing a little clearing, and the fire was right on their heels.

"We could really use a _waterbender_ right now!" Toph shrieked at Aang.

"When you feel a water source, let me know," he replied, half-serious, half-sarcastic. He was short on breath, but Toph was manipulating the ground and he was manipulating the air so they could go faster.

They burst through the line of trees that edged the clearing, gasping against the burning smell. Aang's eyes were leaking tears, and no one wanted to ask if it was from the smoke or his horror at what Azula had done.

"She's burning the trees," he wheezed angrily. "Some people _live_ there."

"There's no one around," Toph assured him, bending over and placing her hands on her knees. "But I'm assuming that even if there were, she wouldn't care."

"She really wouldn't," Ty Lee confirmed. She was pale even though she'd been running, and a sick, disgusted look was plastered on her face.

Sokka held his sword defensively, hanging back a little behind them as he checked the trees for signs of the Fire Nation princess. "We have to keep moving," he ordered. "I'm willing to bet that she's coming right behind us with the fire, and I don't want to find out whether I'm correct or not."

The others nodded, panting, and looked the opposite direction; the forest was more scarce on the other end of the clearing, but the fire was moving around the perimeter and beginning to burn _those_ trees as well.

"Well. Like the fire," said a voice from behind Sokka, and he whipped around to meet the newcomer's eyes as she continued, "I'm already _here."_

"Azula," Aang said, and it passed as some sort of greeting.

The princess smiled wickedly, her lips stretching back from her teeth in a grin that could only be defined as crazy. She bared her teeth like a wild, savage animal, but that was the only thing that seemed disorderly about her.

The rest of her appearance was that which she always maintained; fit, clean, and well-dressed. Her hair was twisted into a bun on the top of her head, the royal insignia on the combs that held it there. Standing with her hands on her hips like she had all the time in the world, she said, "I'm hurt."

"Where?" Sokka asked testily, checking over her arms and legs for wounds. "Never mind, it doesn't matter. You're not getting _our_ help."

"That's not what I meant, you moron," hissed Azula through her sharp-looking teeth. Her face twisted into an expression of disdain, and she said, "I'm hurt _emotionally, _you know? Betrayal really _does_ have an effect on the heart – even for _me_." She sneered.

Ty Lee's whole face darkened from its usually upbeat, bubbly state into that of anger and contempt. "I have no qualms about leaving you," she said formally, which Sokka found odd. Why keep up the respectful tones when you had no respect for the person?

"Trust me, I'm aware," the princess said venomously. "But that will all be handled when we get back to the ship."

"We're not going with you," Aang said, raising his arms in an offensive manner. "And you can't take us."

Lighting came at him so fast that he didn't even see it, but somehow his reflexes acted for him, and he danced out of the way, landing as light as Ty Lee would just a small distance away.

The ground came up under Azula's feet and she jumped off, making fists with her raised hands and shooting balls of fire at Toph, who was smiling viciously at the fact that she'd almost knocked the enemy on her ass.

Aang called up an air shield and got rid of the fire, spinning the air in a vortex similar to the mini-hurricanes that he sometimes made with Katara, for fun. Ty Lee pushed Sokka out of the way of another attack; Azula had turned and aimed for him, since the Avatar was closer to the earthbender.

Azula straightened, smirking at her recently-ex best friend. "I never imagined it'd be you, Ty Lee," she said conversationally, feigning a sigh. Stepping to the side and lifting off the ground with gusts of fire coming from her heels, she assumed a bored expression. "You don't really strike me as the individual, self-decision-making type."

"Allow me to actually strike you before you say that," Ty Lee tossed back, but didn't approach the princess as Toph sent chunks of earth flying towards the firebender.

Smacking them out of the air as if she were swatting a fly, Azula chuckled once. "Strike me? You couldn't lay two _fingers_ on me, Ty Lee. You're too _weak."_ Blown backwards and hit with more earthy boulders, Azula narrowly avoided being thrown into her own fire.

Soldiers seeped from either side of the clearing, raising their arms to attack the Avatar and his friends. Ty Lee got angry, and her back met Sokka's as they fell into defensive positions. _No going back now,_ said the voice in the back of her head. And somehow, Ty Lee was okay with that.

_No more being Azula's second right hand,_ she thought, smiling to herself. _I don't think I'll even miss the benefits of that. _And then she charged forward at the closest firebenders, who were male and probably twice her age. Her fingers snapped into all their pressure points and they fell uselessly to the ground.

Toph, Aang, and Sokka all avoided the blasts of fire from the surrounding soldiers and began to take them out as well, while Azula stood back and cackled like the horrible person she was.

"Too afraid to _fight?"_ Ty Lee yelled angrily at the girl she'd known forever. Felling two more of Azula's men, she turned to face the Fire Princess herself. "There's a flaw in your judgment, Azula," she snarled, raising her small fists as she stepped directly in front of the older girl.

"Oh? What's that?" Azula said coolly, looking at Ty Lee as if the circus girl was the most pathetic thing she'd ever seen. "Come on, stop being stubborn and come back with me. This is childish, Ty Lee."

She didn't even try to attack her former friend. That was what angered Ty Lee the most. "The flaw," began the younger girl icily, "is that you _underestimated_ me." Planting a fist in Azula's gut before taking care of the chi points, Ty Lee relished in how _good_ she felt when opposing the princess.

Azula let out a whooping sound and fell to the ground, face twisted in shock. "How _dare_ you—" she hissed maliciously.

"No," Ty Lee said, nudging the Fire Nation princess over with her foot. "How dare _you."_ Squatting next to Azula, she pointed at the soldiers, who were falling in heaps at the hands of the Avatar and company. "Do you see that?"

The princess said nothing, but glared at her men in disgust.

"Do you _see_ yourself _losing?"_ Ty Lee continued harshly. "That's what you _get_ when you're an awful _bitch_ to your _friends,_ Azula. You get loss. So don't even _tell_ me about betrayal, because treating me like a _dog_ was the first disloyalty in this so-called friendship."

"Ty Lee," Azula said, and if the younger girl didn't know better, she might've thought that Azula's tone sounded pleading.

"No," she said, cutting the princess off. "I want you to listen. Shut up, and listen." Rolling Azula over so that she could stare at her, Ty Lee smiled as she looked down upon the girl who'd been patronizing her since the day they'd met. "I am not _weak._ That's proved by the position you're in now, and also the fact that I'm _abandoning_ you. You said I couldn't lay two fingers on you? Well, I just _did."_

"You're _dead,"_ hissed the princess through her snarling teeth.

"But I'm not helpless," replied Ty Lee. She stood up as the last of the men fell, smiling brightly at Toph, Sokka, and Aang. Stepping over the princess as if she were merely a puddle, Ty Lee glanced down at the girl whose blood was supposed to be noble. "Goodbye, Azula."

* * *

Katara stood staring at her home village, a blank look of misunderstanding on her face. It was windy and she was freezing, but she was standing against Appa, which helped a lot. Zuko was next to her, wordless as always, and he was gazing at her quietly, waiting for her to…react.

Her feet carried her forward, and before she knew it, she was opening the flaps of every tent around. It was horribly silent, and her brain tried to process all this new, uncertain information as her body began to go _through the motions._

Somehow, she found a couple of the heavy coats she was accustomed to wearing up here. Handing one to Zuko, she remained speechless as she slipped hers around her shoulders, cinching it at the waist and braiding back her hair. She pulled the hood up, already beginning to warm up, and then her eyes went to her feet.

Tears welled but didn't drop; it was so cold that she wasn't sure whether or not they would freeze if they fell. It didn't matter because she could both freeze and unfreeze them, but it was a subject that her thoughts could focus on while the rest of her mind did all the hard work.

Deserted.

The village was deserted. Empty.

Her brain kept asking_ how_, but she didn't find an answer. There were no bodies, no signs of attack – just the quiet, lonely village; that which had once been so full of life. She kept her eyes on her feet and sniffed a little, because the cold was making her nose run. At least, that's what she told herself.

She'd heard somewhere, perhaps from her mother, that drastic changes of temperature were bad for the body. Technically, Zuko and Katara had eased into this transition, so she figured she was okay, but still…

"We need to find some boots," she informed the firebender next to her, who was now wrapped in the thick folds of a coat as well. His eyes widened, but he nodded, trudging after her as she went inside another tent, looking for acceptable shoes.

_Her whole village is gone, and 'we need to find some boots' is the first thing she says?_ Zuko blanched at the idea but didn't comment, not wanting to push her into another crying fit. He realized one would come eventually, but now wasn't the time.

She came out bearing two pairs of boots; they were all the color of wet tree trunks in the hot season, and went up to the calves when worn. She shoved her feet into a pair, shedding her now-flimsy sandals, and sighed in relief as the feeling began to return to her toes.

Pushing the other pair into Zuko's arms, she said, "Put these on. Now."

He did as he was told, glancing up at her awkwardly, and then gathered both his shoes and her sandals to put in Appa's saddle. "Um, Katara," he began uncomfortably, staring out at the deserted village.

_He looks strange in blue,_ thought Katara, eyes drifting over Zuko's body. _I don't think I've ever seen him in anything other than red and black. Not that it matters._ But she couldn't help but be amused at how he looked when all bundled up; again her mind was drifting, desperate for something to latch onto while she came to terms with the fact that her people were _gone._

Zuko's cheeks were bright red from getting whipped with cold air, and he squinted pitifully at nothing, trying to make it so his eyes didn't get all dry from the weather. His shoulders hunched up to preserve his body heat, and his hair flapped about his head; he looked almost pathetic, and it was probably one of the silliest things Katara had ever seen.

Zuko's obvious misery delighted her. Snow began to fall and he looked absolutely revolted, as if he was wondering why the sky would decide to make his day _worse. _His scar emphasized the bitter disgust on his face, and he looked _so _uncomfortable that, under different circumstances, Katara would've laughed her head off, but the gravity of her village's emptiness was beginning to take its toll.

_Be strong._

Clearing her throat and stepping closer to him, she glanced at his feet, all tucked in warm boots, and said, "Those are my father's."

His good eyebrow went up and he replied a little too quickly, "Is he alright with me borrowing them?"

"I don't know," Katara answered, snorting. "He's not _here."_

"Agh," Zuko muttered, squeezing his eyes shut in embarrassment. "Pretend I didn't say that."

"No. I'm saving that in my memory forever and ever," Katara sniggered. Her mood was lightening slightly.

"You're laughing at me," Zuko stated. "You're _laughing."_ And here he'd thought she'd be crying? Despite the fact that her quiet giggling was reaching a slight hysterical note, he was surprised that her laugh was full of genuine mirth.

"Well, what am I supposed to do?" she asked, and she looked pained. "Obviously, they've moved somewhere else."

"Where did they go?" he asked. "If you have any idea."

Katara leaned back on her heels thoughtfully, then raised her eyes to Appa. "They probably figured that your father would send soldiers out here. Again."

"Sorry," Zuko said out of habit.

"It's not your fault," Katara surprised herself by saying. _And it's really not_, she thought. _Even though I've blamed you for it for so long._ Clearing her throat, she tried to brush that realization away by voicing her thoughts. "My guess is that they went North."

Zuko gave her a questioning look. "All the way across the world?"

The waterbender shrugged. "We don't know how long they _haven't _been here, so why not?"

"Why are you being so cool about this?" Zuko asked suddenly. "Aren't you worried?"

"Of course," Katara snapped, then felt badly because she hadn't intended to sound so harsh. Softening her tone, she asked, "But what can I do?"

Zuko remained silent, tipping up his chin and staring at the sky. He had actually started to sweat under the parka, and little flurries of snow caught in his hair, forming a white, dusty crown. The contrast of his inky hair against the white background burned into Katara's eyes, and when she blinked, the colors inverted in her vision. Hating the adoration that filled her chest when she looked at him, she cast her eyes away.

"I need to sort out my head," she murmured to him. "Because of…_every_thing."

"I know," he replied. "So do I."

The sensation of the burning kiss they'd shared suddenly overwhelmed her, and she stepped backward involuntarily. Making it look like she was simply turning to get back on Appa, she motioned for Zuko to follow.

When her back was facing him, her fingers brushed across her lips, and she fought the desire to give in to the pull which the memory of the Black Celebration night had brought back.

Where had all the hatred, the contempt, the bitter feelings for Zuko gone? Why did she now feel them for herself? She scowled, blinking slowly, then climbed onto Appa. Zuko followed behind, quiet again, and this time she wished for all the world that he would talk.

* * *

An old man named Iroh sat in an empty tea shop in Ba Sing Se, contently sipping fresh tea out of a small cup and thumbing his lip at a game of Pai Sho. His partner had long since left the game, but Iroh still played on.

He'd been sitting there all afternoon, thinking of his nephew, his brother, and his niece. Sometimes he thought about his son, but he'd always get more tea as a distraction. There was a war raging on around him, but it was quiet; Ba Sing Se hadn't been taken yet, so now instead of physical, the war was political.

So he sat and he drank and he thought and he waited, making small talk with his Pai Sho players and the tea servers. News about the outside world flitted in through customers' mouths and the open windows of the shop. Iroh listened to everything, taking in the rumors and the facts; waiting.

He wasn't sure why he was waiting – what for, basically. The old firebender just felt that it was best to sit and drink tea, as usual, and not stir up trouble anywhere in Ba Sing Se. There were platoons of soldiers coming to try and get Ba Sing Se one more time, and somehow the city had received an anonymous tip-off, so they were preparing for battle. Since the fall of Ba Sing Se, things had been very different, but there were still many underground rebellions against Azula and the Dai Li.

The streets were deserted, just as the tea shop was, because of this. Sometimes children ran through with coins jingling in their hands and satchels; off to get more bread for their mothers while their families practiced strategy.

The Dai Li couldn't force the families to go out and about, but some folks had been taken out for questioning and hadn't returned since. Iroh wasn't worried about those people; they were probably just being held prisoner because they looked suspicious.

He didn't know exactly how many earthbenders populated Ba Sing Se, but he could tell that the number grew every day – people seemed to just turn up, their families having asked them to visit for the coming battle.

The Fire Nation was well aware that there was a storm starting in every place they controlled. They sent in more soldiers and more fights broke out, but the citizens' determination was astonishingly unwavering, cunning, and fierce.

He chuckled at the irony; all this ferocity, and yet the city today was like the calm before the storm. He poured more tea from his kettle and raised his cup to his lips, basking in the ambiance of the serenity…

Until the door burst violently open, coming clean off the wall and landing on the floor with a loud _thomp._ Iroh spluttered his tea, eyes snapping to the door, and saw four people standing in the threshold; one had their foot raised, still in the air from the solid kick they'd just planted against the flimsy door.

It was quiet for a moment, and then the four began fighting each other, each wanting to gain entrance to the shop before the others.

The tallest one managed to make his way in first; then the shortest one. They looked to be the strongest and most determined, and as Iroh's eyes flitted over them, he sighed hugely as the other two piled in behind their friends, looking exhausted.

"_Where_ is my _sister?"_ asked Sokka venomously, looking at Iroh as if he were a threat. The earthbender girl next to Sokka was standing, arms crossed and eyes unfocused, and Iroh remembered that she was blind. Smiling so much that the corners of his eyes crinkled, he glanced at the two behind; the Avatar was wheezing and keeping an eye out for witnesses to their arrival, and…

"Ty Lee!" Iroh said, delighted to see that she'd gotten Mai's message and made her move. The circus girl smiled brightly and waved back, but the old man could tell that something was off about her personality – just looking at her now, she seemed more tense and mature than he'd ever seen before. Not that he'd met her a whole lot, what with being considered a traitor to his brother and all.

"How did I know you'd be here?" Toph said, smirking. "In this exact tea shop."

"It may have something to do with my telling you that it was my favorite," Iroh replied, standing up and walking over to greet them formally.

"Where is my sister?" Sokka grumbled again, eyes darting around the room for signs of Katara. Aang was doing the same thing, but his expression grew more and more worried as he realized that Katara wasn't there.

"She's not here, Sokka," Ty Lee said, raising a hand to place on Sokka's shoulder in comfort, then deciding against it and letting her arm fall back to her side.

"Where _is_ she?" Sokka hissed, looking about two seconds away from frothing at the mouth. He addressed Iroh, facing the old firebender like he would anyone else. "Because Azula is more or less on our _tail,_ and if Katara's nearby and doesn't know that, then—"

"Katara and Zuko went towards your home," Iroh interrupted, calmly holding his hands up to indicate helplessness. "They are safe, away from here."

"Being away from here doesn't necessarily mean _safe,_" Toph murmured, scratching the back of her head. "But being away from _Azula…_well, their chances are better."

Ty Lee stepped to Sokka's right, looking at him nervously. "The Fire Nation plans to attack the Southern Water Tribe and the rest of the Earth Kingdom soon," she explained. "Mai said in her letter that they're pushing the date for the Earth Kingdom back a little, but for the South…"

"You make it sound like it's all just business," Sokka grumbled, adjusting his sword against his hip. His shoulders sagged a little. He was scared and his head was throbbing, but he didn't let anyone else see it; _show no fear_. That meant he should be strong, especially when everyone else was weary and frightened.

"But it is; to my brother, at least," Iroh responded woefully. "But do not worry over Ba Sing Se. The earthbenders may look scarce here, but don't let that deceive you."

Aang smiled half-heartedly, stepping forward to bow towards Iroh; he didn't trust the old man all the way, but he still wanted to be polite to elders. "I think Sokka and I both know not to prejudge earthbenders," he said slyly, nudging Toph.

She grinned and cracked her knuckles. Iroh glanced over all of the teens, then motioned for them to sit down. Finding cups in a nearby cupboard, he poured everyone some tea and then joined them at the table.

"So, my sister and _Zuko_ went down South?" Sokka asked, grimacing as he tried to digest that thought. "He must've captured her when we were gone," he added, leaning over towards Aang.

"You missed them by about a day," Iroh replied, thumbing a Pai Sho chip that had rolled towards him on the table. The White Lotus symbol glimmered on the chip, and a corner of his mouth turned upwards. "And the young lady seemed to be getting along with my nephew."

Sokka, Aang, and Toph blanched. "Zuko is the _enemy_," Sokka spat. "Katara knows that better than anyone."

"Every time he's attacked us, she's always been there to fight him off when I couldn't," Aang said quietly, staring at his tea. His finger was curled into his cup, and he was blowing small indentations into the surface of the liquid.

"My nephew is not a bad person," Iroh stated simply. He shrugged, glancing at Ty Lee, who had finished her tea in one giant gulp. "It seems that you've gotten along with the Fire Princess's best friend, so why is it so hard to imagine that Zuko is changed as well?"

"They don't trust me, either," Ty Lee muttered in reply. "I just got them off the ship and downed Azula."

"That speaks for something," Aang chimed helpfully. He and Ty Lee shared an awkward smile, and then he went back to manipulating his tea. Sipping it carefully, he moaned his approval and said, "Sokka, you haven't touched your tea. It's really good."

"My father taught me not to eat the servings of anyone I didn't trust," Sokka said with such finality and emphasis that it was a real conversation-stopper. Iroh took it in stride, smiling slightly.

A strange silence passed over the table for a moment, and each of the five took that moment to glance at everyone else. What an odd group they were; the brother of the Fire Lord, the Princess's best friend, the son of the chief of the Southern Water Tribe, an Earth Kingdom noble's daughter who'd spent her time here fighting in underground earthbending matches, and the Avatar himself.

"Well, we're going after them," Sokka decided. "I'm not about to let Katara get killed."

"I second that," Aang said after a while. "No offense," he added, addressing Ty Lee and Iroh, "but no matter how many times you say that you think Zuko's changed, it doesn't change the fact that he's tried to kill us all on multiple occasions."

"Katara might already be dead," Toph grumbled, and Sokka slammed his fist down on the table.

"She's not dead," he growled, glaring vehemently at the blind girl. "I would _know _if she was."

Ty Lee swallowed, looking to Iroh for help, but his eyes were down; his expression one most thoughtful.

"How did you know where to find me?" he asked the group suddenly, changing the subject.

"You haven't moved since Mai saw you," Ty Lee explained. "I didn't know whether that was the case, but I figured it'd be best to check."

"Where is she, now?" asked Iroh.

Ty Lee shrugged. "She's probably back at the palace. She knew Azula was coming here, so she must've made a hasty exit. Talking to you, then going to the colonies to find Zuko, and then returning home."

"Wait," Toph said. "How exactly did she know where Zuko was? Was she tracking him?"

"I _knew_ something wasn't right," Sokka groaned, moving to stand up. "No wonder Azula found us! Mai led her to the island where Zuko was, and—"

"Mai would _never _betray Zuko!" Ty Lee protested, rising as well. She looked at him over Aang's head – the Avatar sat between them while Toph sat beside Iroh on the opposite side of the table – and continued, "If you haven't noticed, we're all on _his_ side, not Azula's!"

"_The enemy of an enemy does not make a friend,"_ Toph quoted, sounding as wise as Iroh. She took a sip of her tea and sat back, thinking. "But I'm guessing that she _didn't_ know where Zuko was then, right? As far as we can tell, she only saw _us."_

Ty Lee cleared her throat, nodding. "Right," she said. "Azula went to look for Zuko on her own. Mai didn't know where he was. She hadn't for a very long time. And then Azula found someone better to hunt: you. So we, uh, captured you."

"And what was _Mai_ doing?" Sokka snapped.

"_Mai_ left shortly after we departed," Ty Lee supplied angrily. "She said she wanted to go visit her mother and brother in the Earth Kingdom, so Azula called her another ship, and she left."

"That must've been around the time she came to see me, then," Iroh said. "And she told me that Azula was sending around a batch of her men to look for your sister," he added, nodding to Sokka. "And I told her where to find Zuko, and also that he was with the young waterbender."

"Her name's Katara," Sokka spat. "How'd _you_ know where they were? Or even that they were together?" His eyes narrowed and his hand moved to the hilt of his sword, and he recalled briefly using it earlier that day. How useless he'd been; Aang and Toph had fought off most of the soldiers with their bending, and he'd just waved his sword. Even _Ty Lee_ had been of use; she'd taken out Azula when the princess had least expected it.

The old man colored a little, coughing slightly. "I may or may not have been tracking Zuko."

"But you were _here,"_ Ty Lee said, confused. "How…?"

"A bounty hunter named June," Iroh admitted, and Toph and Sokka sighed. Holding up his hands, he said, "What's a concerned uncle to do? I couldn't just abandon Zuko. So I had her follow him. And some way or another, uh, _Katara_ and the rest of you were also on her list of bounties, and June found her and captured her on the island."

"This still doesn't make sense," Aang said tiredly.

"It will," Iroh said. "Let me finish. See, the young lady escaped. The man who was supposed to be standing guard told her that someone else had aided the girl in getting away, and June pursued her because she didn't want her reputation to be 'tarnished by a little girl.' June said that she found them watching you guys be taken by my niece, and since she didn't want to let Azula know that Zuko was nearby, she took him as well, under the cover that he was also up for bounty – which he was."

"And she told you all this?" Toph asked in disbelief.

"Yes," the man confirmed. "She said that Zuko had been the one who'd helped the young lady escape previously. I figured that Zuko must've needed her for something, so I asked June to bring her to me as well."

"He probably wanted Katara so he could use her as a hostage against Aang," Sokka muttered. "Take away the Avatar's keeper, and who's left but the Avatar?"

"You and me," Toph snorted. "But Katara's the only one who Aang would get angry about."

"That's not true," Aang denied, coloring at the cheeks. "If any of you were to be captured and used against me, I'd be upset. You know that."

"Relax, Twinkletoes, I'm just teasing," replied the earthbender, but there was an undertone that told she wasn't.

Iroh cleared his throat. "Uh, and then they escaped a second time."

"I'm judging June right now," Toph said lightly. "Really judging."

"How does this tie into Mai?" Ty Lee asked, still waiting for her friend to be cleared of suspicion.

"Well, I learned all this before she arrived here," Iroh began, taking a moment to refill his tea cup. "So when she came, I told her that Zuko and Katara were on the island that she'd just been to. And June discovered the direction they headed in, so Mai put two and two together and found them."

"The irony really hurts here," Aang said, huffing a breath outward and almost sloshing his tea across the table. He raised his head, looking abashed, and said, "This just seems really unlikely."

"Tell me about it," the others all said in unison.

Sokka sighed, tearing his eyes away from the man who sat across from him and gazing out the window at the setting sun. He was exhausted, both from the lack of sleep he seemed to be getting with all this travel, and with the fact that he'd been so useless earlier.

_I stood around waving my sword and hitting all the stunned soldiers with it. I couldn't block anyone's chi or take them down using my bending skills, because I don't _have _any freakin' bending skills._

The purpling under his eyes turned a little red, and his eyes watered. Coughing, he sat backwards in his chair and blinked, staring at his friends and would-be-should-be enemies. "I'm tired," he said pointedly, raising an eyebrow to Ty Lee and Iroh, like it was a challenge.

Iroh smiled politely and nodded once. "There are rooms upstairs; one available for each of you four." Sokka didn't like the way the old man had included Ty Lee as a part of their group, but he was honestly too tired to even grunt at it.

_I just want to see Katara. And Suki. And Dad._

* * *

On the other end of the world, it was almost midday. Katara sat in a tent; she couldn't go into her family's tent without feeling the brokenness of how everything had fallen apart. The depravity of the world around her was constantly crushing her, like a giant boulder was on top of her lungs.

Zuko was outside, doing whatever because he'd figured she wouldn't want to be bothered. _Intuition,_ Katara thought. _I guess growing up with those girls really taught him a lot._

She'd taken to making lists; sometimes it helped her decision-making, and other times it just let her focus on a sole subject long enough to process a response. This was a mixture of both of those categories – she had to take action over the little conflicts in her life.

Therefore, she was going through all the facts that had led her to this point. As much as she hated to admit it, Zuko was growing on her, and the part of her that was reserved for Aang was getting squished around.

Aang: _My best friend. He changed my life, for the better. I see more clearly now, I'm closer to Sokka, and I've gained so many friends and seen so many things, traveling with him. I was given the opportunity to teach him and I did, and he's grown so much as a person and as a bender – as the _Avatar – _and I've been here to see it all. _

Zuko: _He threatened us and tried to hurt us. He followed us all the way around the globe, trying to attack Aang. But even then, I was able to talk to him – not as enemies or friends; just talking. He's changed so much since Ba Sing Se. I can see it all over his face and movement. I can feel it in the atmosphere when he's around. He really is a better person, and although I don't completely trust him, I'm with him. He has good judgment and logic, and often times he's right when I'm wrong. I hate that, but I need it._

There were one hundred, one thousand, one million other things about those two boys that ran through her mind, across her tongue, and once or twice down her cheeks. She wiped her face and took in several deep breaths, trying to use her brain and not her heart, but the two were interlocked and she couldn't tear them apart – not when so many other things had been ripped away.

Everything was rushed and jumbled; Aang, Zuko, Sokka, Toph, Azula, Ozai, her father, and last but never _ever _least, her mother. The silence when she asked herself for answers was horrific. The pain and swirling, uncertain emotions that she felt – not just now, but ever since the Fire Lord took her mother – were beginning to eat her alive.

And, worst of all, her mother had never told her how to deal with this. No one had. She had no one to consult; no one to talk to.

No one.

* * *

Zuko sat alone by a fire that he'd agonizingly started; the windy, cold South was trying to kill the flames, but he warmed them with his hands, raising the flickering sparks as if he were a farmer and they were his crops.

He thought about lots of things, but most of all, the thought about his past. Who he'd been, what he'd done, the privilege of earning Mai's trust and the luck of gaining Katara's, the haunting memories of his father and sister that he'd shared with _no one_; would never share with anyone.

They were private. Personal. There was a lot to the story, but those parts were his. Not because he was fond of them or because they were happy – they weren't – but because he needed something to hold on to; something about his life that was really, truly, honestly his own.

Down here, he was miserable – miserably cold, that is. Being miserable seemed to follow him everywhere he went, and now that his life finally seemed to be getting better, he was racked with unbearable doubts.

_What if I can't fulfill what they expect of me – what I expect of myself?_

He was completely done trying to win over Azula and his father. He wasn't their toy anymore, and he planned on showing them. But Azula had Mai, and his father would find the Avatar eventually – and the Avatar had Katara.

Uncle Iroh was, presumably, in no danger, as the last time Zuko had seen him was just the day before – had it really been that short of a time? – in a tea shop, safe with the other members of the White Lotus.

Ba Sing Se was still under Azula's regime, but it would be liberated. Set free; if not by Aang's hands, then by Zuko's own. He just hoped that everyone would make it out okay, even if probability said different.

_Someone's going to die,_ he thought soberly, solemnly. _Maybe even me._

And in a huge, rushing, tearing wave, his memories and emotions came down hard on him. Everything he wanted to say and had said, everything he wanted to make up for and do better the next time. Every little drop of blood or tears that had rolled off of him and the people he cared about.

His mind searched blindly for comfort; _Mother, Mai, Uncle, Katara._ The four sole people in the world that he knew he could count on. Two had more or less abandoned him, one was far away, and the other was inside a tent that sat a few dozen paces away.

She hadn't moved or even squeaked, but Zuko knew she was crying. Sages, he was even crying himself. He hated the weakness – the _vulnerability_ – that consumed him so fully; the lies and betrayal and fear of leaving someone behind, of being left behind.

Zuko pounded his fist into the ice beneath him and it didn't even crack. So he slammed it again, and again, and _again_ until he was on his hands and knees, fists bloody, eyes leaking saltwater from the cold and from his anguish. The tears froze on his face and he picked them away, wincing at how his tender scarring didn't react nicely to ice.

All these ghosts were following him around, making sure he never forgave himself, never forgot. His entire past was one giant mistake, and often times, he wished he'd never been born. That his sister, himself, and his father and grandfather had never even existed.

Zuko wanted to erase this, but he couldn't, so he sat and he wept for a small moment before getting to his feet – like a _man_, his father would say when he was displeased with Zuko as a child – and stalking over to the tent that held Katara.

It wasn't because he wanted to be around anyone; especially Katara since she was one of the many ghosts that haunted him. The memories of her fear and hatred for him written all over her face still tore at him, but he was stronger now.

It wasn't because he wanted company – no; it was because he _needed_ company. He needed someone to stare at, someone whose face he could memorize and focus on so he wouldn't have to think about anything at all.

* * *

He entered without knocking and she was a mess, but she was there and so was he. Before he knew what he was even doing, they were in each other's arms; she seemed just as confused as he was, but neither of them let go.

They sat like that for ages, clinging to each other and trying to pretend like the little tremors that came from their bodies weren't spasms caused by their stifled sobs, trying to pretend like their tears weren't soaking each other's coats; trying to pretend like they really didn't need anyone and were just there for comfort.

Midday turned to night, and tears turned to frozen icicles on their chests and laps. They bit their chapped lips and blinked their puffy eyes, sniffed from their stuffy noses and moved away from each other so that they could _breathe._

But their hands remained together; one solid reminder that this wasn't a dream or a nightmare, that this wasn't just some silly game they were playing. This was real, and their hands gripped each other so tightly that they might break, but didn't.

The tears were done and it was time to be brave, because there was no one else to be brave for them, to save them. They were alone but they had each other, and that loneliness was slowly fading away.

Their hands stayed clasped, and a warmth grew between them, taking place of the missing link that had been between the waterbender and the firebender for what seemed like more than the month they'd shared.

That bond was made of blood and trust, water and sight, fire and bone. It sang to their skin and whispered against their ears, but they sat still, not wanting to ruin, not wanting to go overboard again. This was nice, and this could last.

This could last.

* * *

**Author's** **Note:** WOW long chapter. But, I'm super proud of it because I feel like it went slower than I usually write, and because I got a lot of things down that I wanted to put across. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it, and please keep reading because the next chapter is going to be super angsty and gushy and aslkdfj yeah. Reviews as always are peaches and cream :) Bye for now!


	14. Pride

The next day, Sokka woke with his plan formed completely in his head. Iroh had been kind enough to give them all separate rooms, although Sokka thought it was a little weird that there were so many boarding places above a tea shop.

His plan was well thought-out, and as he sat up, stretching his arms, cracking his neck, he mulled it over. Placing his tired feet on the ground, he thought to himself, _First off, today. Get food, lots of it. You'll need energy for the cold. Second, depart with Aang and Toph when Ty Lee and Grandpa Whoever aren't around. Find a way to get to the South. Save Katara from Zuko. Kick his ass. Then go somewhere where no one can ever separate us again._

Sighing, he shuffled to the chair that sat by the window of the room; he'd placed his top layers of clothing there, leaving only the undergarments on, so he could sleep comfortably. It was highly risky of him, but nothing had happened, so.

Sokka yawned, lazily grabbing his sword and attaching its sheath to his hip. Glancing out the window, he saw that the streets of Ba Sing Se were still deserted, and muttered something unintelligible; perhaps about the hoity-toity Fire Nation princess who ran the place.

Stalking out of the room and into the hall, he looked to either side and shrugged, going for the door nearest his own. That was Aang's room; Toph and Sokka had decided to put Aang between themselves. Ty Lee's room was on the opposite end of the hall, past Toph's room and next to the staircase, so that if she or anyone else tried to pull something, the earthbender would hear and be ready.

Not even bothering to knock on the Avatar's door because he knew the younger boy was still sleeping, Sokka entered the room and took in the sight of it; it was set in a cream-and-soft-yellow hue, whereas Sokka's walls and sheets were dark green. _Light colors for a light personality?_ Sokka thought.

He tiptoed over to his sleeping friend and leaned over the bed, reaching out an arm to shake Aang awake. "Aang," he whisper-shouted. The door fell open again and a small form fell across the threshold; Toph waltzed into the room like she was born to do so, and perhaps, she was.

Aang woke, staring blearily up at the older boy and rubbing his eyes. "I don't want the cocoa moose," he protested, sounding aggravated and helpless. "Give me the ribbon."

"Okay, kiddo, but first, get up," Sokka said, placing a finger to his lips to hush Aang.

The airbender nodded sleepily, climbing out of his bed and adjusting his clothes. "Can we have breakfast now?"

"Not yet," Sokka insisted, pushing Aang towards the door. "We gotta go."

Toph led them out of the room and down the hallway, silent as a mouse, and they tiptoed down the staircase. It was just after dawn when they walked outside; Sokka smiled because this part of the plan had succeeded. He'd sat awake last night, thinking of how they'd all been conditioned to wake early, and that the waking times of Ty Lee and an old man would be far later into the more leisurely hours of the day, and he was right.

* * *

Zuko awoke with his hands still clasped around Katara's. He shifted slightly, not accustomed to sleeping on ice, but didn't get up right away. Staying beside the waterbender, he studied her sleeping face – she looked so peaceful, like she was dreaming.

Her eyes flitted around behind her eyelids, and sometimes her mouth would move as if she were about to say something. Zuko would tense, thinking she might be awake and not wanting to be caught staring at her while she slept, but all that would happen was that she would sigh and turn her head a little; sometimes towards him, sometimes away.

He smiled gently as her fingers tightened around his, then looked towards the opening of the tent – it must've been around the darkest time of night, because it was pitch black as far as he could tell, and little streaks of the waxing crescent moon were falling in through the small holes in the top of the tent.

Everything had that dusky appearance, like blue-gray dust had been sprinkled throughout the tent. His parka and Katara's parka no longer looked sky blue; rather, they were a dull dark blue.

Zuko noticed that his knuckles were still bloody, but they didn't throb like they should've. Rubbing his hands on his coat so that the now-dried blood came off, Zuko saw that his hands looked as if they'd never been hurt at all. Granted, he still had that teeny scar near the base of his thumb from that time when he was little, where Azula and he were playing with swords and he got cut, but the knuckles were barely even marked.

His hands flew to his face, pressing against the left side. Zuko's fingertips met his scar, and he felt foolish for even having thought…

_She healed me,_ he almost said out loud, turning his hands over in front of his face and scrutinizing his knuckles. _She healed…_me?_ But…why?_ His eyes flicked to the sleeping girl next to him, and his hands fell into his lap.

He'd dropped her hands and she hadn't even stirred, so Zuko backed up against the other side of the tent and watched her for a little while longer.

The firebender was cold but warm; his rear end was freezing as he sat on just a layer or two of what looked like bear hide, but his chest and arms were warm. He would exhale steam and watch Katara shiver as it caressed her face.

They'd checked the place over before she'd gone off on her own, before he'd bloodied his knuckles. No one else was around, and Zuko could see a good distance in every direction, so it'd be obvious if someone tried to surprise them.

He wriggled over to the entrance of the tent and peered out; he could've stood and walked but he was much too comfy lying down. He laughed at the thought of being lazy at a time like this, but made no move to actually stand up.

Outside, it was a foggy night. The sky was a strange shade of blue, like the sun hadn't quite set as it passed to the other side of the earth. Yellow and green swirls covered some parts of the horizon – clouds.

He breathed slowly out into the open air, and studied the steam that came out of his mouth; he wasn't even trying. The air was crisp and clear because of the cold – the humidity from the Fire Nation was _definitely_ much better than this. Zuko's face squinched up in misery as he shivered, returning his head to the inside of the tent.

Katara was stirring and he didn't have long, so he scooted back over to his spot along the opposite end of the tent. Zuko crossed his arms over his chest and stomach to preserve his heat, breathing steam outward so that he could warm himself as well as Katara.

"Mmngh," Katara moaned, turning onto her back. Her eyes were still closed and Zuko watched awkwardly as her eyelids fluttered, like little tiny fireflies were tickling them. Finally, the waterbender sat up, blinking and reaching out her arms to stretch.

The places under her eyes were still puffy, but Zuko couldn't see if the shadows were still there – they'd both had some. The exhaustion of running all over the world in such a short time had taken a toll on the two, and it seemed that the circles under their eyes had been tattooed on.

"Good morning," Zuko said blandly, clearing his throat. He was afraid he might begin to cough, but the thought immediately went away when Katara's eyes met his.

"Whuh?" she asked, still half-asleep. "Morning?"

Glancing at the tent's flaps, Zuko replied, "Uh, no. Not morning. I was just greeting you."

"Oh," was all she said at first. Then, "We, uh, should really go rescue the others today."

"Yeah." He stood suddenly, lifting himself off of the ground and dusting himself off as if he were dirty. "Then we should probably get going—"

"Zuko," Katara interrupted, raising a hand to stop him. Rubbing at her eyes, she stood up, wobbling a little with the head rush that overcame her for a moment. "Um. I just, I wanted to thank you. For sticking around," she added.

"What do you mean?" asked the prince, confused.

"I mean...I d-don't hate you," she stammered, blushing. "I don't know if I like you – n-not _that _kind of like!" She squeaked, shutting her eyes and putting her hands over her face. "I just…I don't know what to do." The confession seemed small and weak, but Zuko saw that it had taken a lot to put out those few words.

It was so simple a phrase, but it changed how he saw her so significantly that he almost stepped forward and hugged her. Instead, he cleared his throat. "I uh, I don't hate you either."

"I know," she replied quietly.

* * *

Aang tripped over the third tree root that morning and caught himself, groaning loudly. "Sokka," he said, picking a dewy leaf off of his leg. "Do we _have_ to walk through the jungle when the sun isn't up?"

"Yes," Sokka replied shortly. Obviously, it wasn't up for debate, so Aang let it go and followed the older boy as best he could. Toph was behind him, snickering every time he almost hit something.

"Where's that airbenderly grace?" she would ask. "Or, for that matter, that _earth_benderly grace? Any benderly grace at all, basically."

The Avatar followed behind the stomping boy as best he could; every now and then he'd make a disgusted _euugh _sound as his foot squished into something indiscernible.

Near the late afternoon, after hours of silence, Toph spoke again. Her face was bright pink from the sun kissing her cheeks, and Aang suspected that he looked no different. "Aren't we going to, you know, talk about Zuko? Or Azula? Or just _insult _someone?"

Although Sokka's skin was darker, he had the same red blotches on either side of his face. Aang saw this as the older boy turned around to reply to the earthbender. "What do you want us to say?" he asked, his voice strangely husky. He didn't sound young or humorous like he usually did; now he sounded exhausted.

"Something," Toph answered him in her own soft voice. "It's too damn quiet."

And then, without meaning to, they all fell silent again. They'd come to a stop near a small creek, so Aang advocated that they sit and rehydrate themselves for a bit. It was an awkward kind of peaceful, one that let them hesitate but still be the best of friends.

"I don't like it," Sokka said after another long while. He sat on a rock about the size of one of Appa's toes, his hands still wet from cupping water out of the creek and tasting it. An eerie, forlorn look rested upon his face. "I don't like it at all."

"No one does." The Avatar was surprised to recognize his own voice; he hadn't meant to speak. _Oh, well,_ he thought. _Might as well get it out now._ "I don't know why Katara's stayed with him. It's probably just that he keeps tracking her down and dragging her back, but she would've killed him by now."

It was a hard thought; to imagine Katara killing anyone. Aang closed his eyes, knowing perfectly well that she could if she had to.

"I would've," Sokka grumbled. "I would've gutted him like a fish, after everything he's done."

"Maybe he _has_ changed," Toph chimed in. Sokka's head snapped towards her, eyes incredulous, but she just sat as if she couldn't feel him or hear him move. "Maybe what Grandpa said was true."

"You shouldn't trust firebenders, Toph."

"I don't. I'm just saying, maybe he's really changed." The earthbender's voice was a little less sure. She decided that Sokka was probably right; after all, Zuko had kidnapped Aang on multiple occasions, and probably would've killed him if the Avatar's trusty friends had come to the rescue.

"How are we going to get her back?" asked Aang. "Once we find them."

"It depends," Sokka replied quietly. His voice had a venomous undertone, but he kept his tone hushed. "On everything, I guess. The surroundings, Katara's well-being, Zuko's reaction…"

It just so happened that Sokka's current surroundings were more populated than he thought. He realized this when Toph jumped to her feet, facing the northeast direction and stepping into a fighting stance.

"Toph?" he hissed, immediately drawing his sword as Aang rose a little in the air, balls of air and earth forming in his palms. Sokka took a couple steps forward, eyes searching the various trees and bushes in front of them.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Toph falter. "It's…" her voice trailed off as she dropped out of her defensive position, expression unbelieving. "It's Appa. And two people."

Aang turned to Sokka, eyes widening. "This sounds like a trap, Sokka," he murmured. "Someone must've found him…"

"Yeah," Sokka agreed, nodding. His face darkened as he said, "We'll need to free him. Toph, are you sure there are only _two?"_

"I'm sure," replied the earthbender. "They're light, though. There's not as much vibration coming out of their footsteps as there would be for an earthbender. We're more muscular."

"Firebenders," hissed the older boy. "Probably Azula and the palest one. Ty Lee's in Ba Sing Se, which is why there's only two." He kept scanning the greenery around them, and then ultimately decided to move forward, searching for the intruders. "How far out are they?"

Toph moved to his elbow, with Aang behind her. Keeping her hands ready for a fight, she said, "Not too far. And they're moving slowly. I can't tell if they're unsure of _where_ we are, or if they even know we're here."

"It's a trick, it has to be," Sokka said. "They're letting us think we can get the jump on them."

They fell silent, moving cautiously forward, trying not to make any noise. Forming a triangle with Toph in the front and Aang and Sokka at her flanks, they all let their backs touch each other's, facing outward so they could see all around themselves.

"We're getting close," Toph whispered at one point. Her forehead was sweating with her concentration, and she kept feeling around with her feet, waiting until they were almost past Azula and Mai. Then, she murmured, "Left! Be quick!"

And the three sprang through the trees, hopping over roots and branches and bushes until they caught sight of the two dark-haired girls. Toph moved around to one side of the girls and in response, the two fell into defensive stances, and everything was fast and time almost blurred and Sokka almost hit Azula over the back of the head until Aang screeched, "_Stop!"_

Sokka froze, turning towards his friend in confusion and frustration. "What?" he hissed, still holding his sword aloft.

"Think, Sokka! Do you think Azula would be caught _dead_ with that hairstyle?" Aang growled back. "That's Zuko!_ And_ Katara!" He pointed, as if daring Sokka to prove him wrong. Sokka looked back over his shoulder to the two people dressed in Fire Nation Red, and his jaw almost hit the ground as he met the Fire Prince's eyes.

"It doesn't change the fact that he's still _fucking_ crazy!" Sokka shouted, lowering his sword to punch the bewildered prince right in the face. Zuko stumbled back, groaning, and Katara put a hand on his shoulder, positioning herself in front of him. Sokka stared at her, dropping his sword altogether and opening his arms. "Are you alright?" he asked, pulling her towards him.

"I'm fine," she said testily, hugging him back before pushing him away with a force that could only be described as lovingly. She glared at her brother before turning to look at Zuko once more. "Are _you_ alright?" she asked the firebender, cupping his cheek in one hand and his shoulder in the other so she could see the damage.

Zuko tried to wrest himself out of her grip, but she held on. Eventually, he sighed in defeat and let her look at him, raising his eyes to the tops of the trees so he didn't stare at her face, which was just inches from his. "I'm great," he hissed, allowing steam to flow through his teeth and hit her hair. "I'm really great." He tasted blood.

Aang was at his side in a minute, pulling Katara into a giant bear hug. "Katara!" he exclaimed, eyes watering with joy. Somehow, Zuko got pushed away, and he took that moment to examine his surroundings. Worrying his lip with his tongue, he figured out that it was split on one side, puffing up because it had been smashed his tooth. The Avatar was standing in front of him, with Katara still in his arms – Zuko ignored the bitter rise and fall of anger that coursed through his chest – and then Katara's brother behind _her,_ staring at his sister's head like he was seeing the sun for the first time. Behind Katara's brother was the earthbender, whose arms were crossed. She wore a _very_ confused expression.

Katara finally stopped hugging the Avatar and turned to greet Toph, saying, "I actually _missed _you. How'd you get away from them?"

"You knew we were there?" asked Sokka suddenly, one eyebrow cocking upward.

The waterbender nodded. "We saw you captured," she replied. "Zuko said that we'd just get captured too if we tried to rescue you, so we planned to get you guys out when Azula and the others weren't paying so much attention. But then…we got captured too," she finished in a small voice. "By June."

"That's why I felt surrounded," Toph concluded, rubbing her chin as if she had a beard like Iroh's. "But I thought it was just Azula's soldiers…"

"We were coming to free you," Katara professed, her face beyond delighted. "See, uh, June was actually taking us to Zuko and Azula's uncle – he's okay, by the way – but we didn't know that so we got away, and then we were looking for you in a town near where you were caught, and Mai came – she's okay, I guess – and she told us to go to Iroh after all, so then we went and he told us that the Fire Nation was planning to attack the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom soon, so we went to warn the Southern Water Tribe, but I guess they went North, so they already knew, and then we were going to come back to Ba Sing Se…" her voice trailed off as she gestured to their surroundings. "We knew Azula wouldn't harm you guys unless all other ways of coercion were off for Aang, and we didn't know how long it would last. But thank goodness you're okay," she said, sniffing a little bit, ignoring the fact that she'd conveniently left out the bit about the kiss and her developing feelings for Zuko. "Oh gosh, you guys, I've missed you."

"I missed you too, sis," Sokka replied, staring at her with an expression of pride. "We all did."

Zuko emerged from behind Katara and Aang, and immediately, Sokka raised his arms to hit the prince. "Katara, get away!" he snarled, seeing his sister's eyes go wide in shock. He focused solely on Zuko, letting out an angry snarl, but Katara simply shook her head and tried to grab him. Sokka backed out of her reach.

"Guys, he's on our side," Katara explained, raising her head to look at each her friends. "He _helped_ me—"

"He's _not_ our ally, Katara. If he helped you, it was only because he wants Aang for _himself."_ Sokka's voice oozed malice, and although he didn't have his sword on him, he looked as if he would and could take Zuko down.

The prince glared back at him, and it seemed like the entire forest seemed to heat up. Katara once again positioned herself in front of him, stammering and trying to explain the situation as best she could. Putting his left hand on her right shoulder, he guided her away from the budding fight, muttering, "I figured this would happen."

"No, stop," Katara hissed at him, turning from glaring at him to glare at her brother with the same tension. Putting a hand on Zuko's chest to hold him back, she tried to do the same to Sokka, but he was too far away.

Aang chimed in, "Guys, maybe we should just calm down—"

Sokka lunged for Zuko, who prepared to retaliate for the coming blow, and Katara shrieked a little. Aang grabbed her elbow and pulled her out from between the two older boys, and she groaned in defeat.

The sickening thud of fists meeting flesh sounded only twice before Toph raised her hands, pulling her fists backward to manipulate the earth. The ground underneath the two boys swept violently to the side, causing them to lose their balance and fall in a heap to the forest floor. "That's _enough,_" Toph bellowed, stomping forward to grab the two by their collars. Holding them apart, she said, "I'm supposed to be the violent one. Not _you,_ Sokka!"

The older boy ignored her, trying to get free while glaring at the firebender to his side. "Get back on your stupid freaking ostrich horse and ride off into your angsty distance!" he shouted, lamely throwing a punch towards Zuko. His fist fell about half an arm's length flat and just flopped back to his side.

"I don't even have the ostrich horse anymore!" Zuko retorted, exhaling steam. Katara noticed that he could've easily just burned her brother to stop his attack, but realized that even though Zuko may not like Sokka, he wouldn't hurt him like that. Not if Sokka was important to Aang…or important to _her._

_He's been burned before,_ she thought, fidgeting next to Aang. _He knows how badly it aches, even after it's 'healed.' He wouldn't do that to my brother. Especially not if he's trying to get on Aang's and my good side. _She didn't pay attention to the fact that he already _was_ on her good side.

"Thank you, Toph," Aang said over the angry boys' heads, as if he were their responsible guardian and they were just misbehaving children. "But we still have to sort this out. Preferably _without _violence," he stage-whispered.

Katara left his side to take Sokka away from Toph, making him stand a good distance away from the firebending prince; this way, she, Toph, and Aang could all step between the two and stop them if another fight broke out. _This is ridiculous,_ she thought. _Although I understand why. I tried to attack Zuko too…_She remembered when he'd come to her in the dead of night, freeing her from her chains and taking away her hooded blindfold. Smirking, she remembered how she'd kicked him in the gut.

"You can let me go," said the boy in question. He was limp under Toph's hand, grimacing in annoyance. "I'm not here to hurt any of you." Toph let him go, and he stood, rubbing his neck.

"Hey, Sparky," Toph replied, to which Zuko blushed. _Sparky?_ he thought. _I can barely control lightning._ Stepping out of Sokka's hitting and kicking range, he moved to stand by Katara; neither of the two realized that he was standing just a smidgen too close to be mortal enemies.

"Listen, we should probably get out of here." Aang's voice was natural and more mature than the squealing that had come a few moments before, when he'd hugged Katara. "Just because these two aren't Azula and Mai doesn't mean that they haven't discovered that we're gone. They're probably looking for us right now."

"Azula and Mai?" Zuko repeated, his face contorting in confusion.

"What, did you think your girlfriend would follow _you_ instead of your sister?" Sokka scoffed, still being held by Toph. He could get out of her grip easily, but the ground below him shook even if he just shifted his weight. She wasn't angry, but she wasn't about to let him get killed by a firebender, even though he thought it was worth it to beat the crap out of Zuko. True friendship was explained _somewhere_ in that.

"N-no," Zuko grumbled, trying his best not to look at Katara. "I was just wondering about Ty Lee."

There was a pause in the conversation as Sokka looked to Aang, and the airbender returned the stare. Aang shrugged, turning back to Zuko, and said, "Ty Lee…converted. She's with your uncle in Ba Sing Se. Or she was this morning."

The prince seemed taken aback; his good eyebrow went up a little and his eyes widened slightly, but other than that, he remained calm. Nodding, he said, "I guess that's good. That makes two of us."

Aang blanched. Sokka blanched. Toph blanched. Appa blanched.

"…Um, come again?" Aang asked sheepishly, raising a hand to stick a finger in his ear. It was his way of fidgeting, and as he looked at the firebender across from him, his stomach leapt in all directions.

Zuko swallowed, taking a deep breath before letting his eyes drift towards Katara. Her face was serious and she gave an encouraging nod; behind her, the Avatar stared at him with wide, bewildered eyes. Opening his mouth, Zuko said, "I want to help you."

An immense groan erupted from Sokka, and he wrestled away from Toph. Pointing a finger at Zuko, he hissed, "As _if!_ All you've ever wanted was to capture Aang." He didn't charge his enemy again, but he rested a hand on his sword, which was sheathed at his side.

"I know," Zuko replied. "I'm crooked." He was still looking at Aang, but Sokka saw his gaze falter in contempt. Somehow, that only made Sokka more angry.

Turning to Aang and Katara, he still pointed to Zuko in anger, and said, "I _know_ you guys won't fall for this. I _know_ it."

"Sokka," said Katara, stepping forward and raising a comforting hand. "He helped me. He got me away from June, and I couldn't have done that on my own, as much as I hate to admit it."

She watched as her brother stepped closer to her, then stared up into his dark eyes as he looked down at her. He was close enough that his heavy breathing hit her chin, but she didn't flinch. "Don't kid yourself, Katara," he growled, so that only she could hear. "You'd have found a way."

Frowning slightly, the waterbender gave Sokka a pleading look. "Sokka, you don't understand," she murmured, glancing at Zuko over Sokka's shoulder. The prince had taken a cautious step towards the two, perhaps because Sokka was standing over Katara in a very threatening manner. Making a small motion with her hand, she shooed him back. _I can deal with my own brother,_ she thought at him.

"What don't I understand? No – no, _really,_ I want to know what you think _I don't get."_ His words were harsh and he glared at her like they were the only two in the entire forest; like this was just _their_ fight, not Toph's or Aang's.

Opening her mouth to speak, Katara realized that she simply couldn't explain it to him. How was she supposed to tell her own brother that she had unresolved feelings for the enemy? Especially when Suki was locked away in a prison camp under the rule of Zuko's father…

"Exactly," Sokka said, ending the silence. "You don't know either."

"T-that's not true," Katara stammered, not allowing herself to blush. Crossing her arms over herself, she said, "I believe him, Sokka. If you won't trust him, trust _me._ Think about it: Would I, of all people, tell you to accept someone as awful as he is without a good cause?"

He huffed. "And what cause is that, again?" Assuming the same cross-armed pose as his sister, he glanced behind her at Aang, whose eyes were darting between the siblings and Zuko.

"He wants to _help_ us," Katara replied. "He wants to teach Aang how to firebend. He wants to help us defeat his family." Her voice shook a little as she tried not to stare her brother down; intimidating Sokka would only prove fruitless if she wanted him to agree with her.

"I don't like it."

"Well, it's not just your decision. It's all of ours," she said, gesturing around them to Aang, Toph, and Zuko.

"Then why are you acting like I'm the only one against it?" he hissed back, stooping towards her again. Looking over his shoulder at the exiled prince once more, he shot Zuko an icy glare.

Katara fell silent, and her jaw set. Turning on her heel and stepping away from her brother, she looked Aang in the eye and said, "Do you want Zuko?"

Aang shrugged, eyes widening. "I don't really know what's going on, Katara," he said. "And I don't know if I can trust him."

"See?" Sokka breathed from behind her. "I'm not the only one."

Katara ignored him, staring coolly at Aang, tapping her foot. He stared back at her awkwardly, but kept glancing at the firebender behind her and her brother.

"Why?" said a new voice. Everyone turned to look at Toph, who had remained silent until now. She stood with her feet shoulder-length apart, planted in the ground, and her arms crossed. "Why do you want to join the Avatar?"

Realizing that the earthbender's question was directed at him, Zuko took the opportunity to explain his intent. Bracing himself, he began, "Well, I guess I realized how terrible I was. How terrible Azula and my father were – _are._ I know all the things I did up until I left were _wrong,_ and I want to…redeem myself, I guess. All my life, I've always wanted to live up to the Fire Lord's expectations, and outdo my sister when _she_ lived up to them. I want to teach the Ava—_Aang _how to firebend, so that when the time comes that he faces the Fire Lord, he'll be ready."

Swallowing, he stared solely at the earthbender; he didn't want to glance at Katara and falter. He figured that the earthbender was the only one who wasn't staring at him, and on further inspection, he realized that she was blind. _Amazing,_ he thought. _How could I have overlooked that before?_

No one really made any move to stop him from speaking, so he swallowed again and continued. "I know I'm not a trustworthy person – you have absolutely no reason to believe me or anything I'm telling you – but I think you need my help, and I'm willing to give it to you. It's the least I can do to make up for all I've already done to you. I know there are better selections of teachers out there for you, like, say, my uncle. I know that. I do." He raised an eyebrow, turning to look Aang in the eyes. "But I knew Azula. And I know Mai. I-I don't really know my father all that well, but…"

"Stop," Aang said, putting up a hand. He stepped around Katara and Sokka and towards the firebender. "I've heard enough."

Zuko flinched. Lowering his head, he knew the airbender had rejected him. He didn't want to meet the Avatar's eyes, or Katara's eyes, or even Sokka's eyes. He just wanted to _help._ Sure, maybe it was some sort of restoring-the-honor type of ordeal that he was famous for, but he'd rather it be that than have them think it was all a huge scam so he could take them to the Fire Lord and win his redemption.

Somehow, he couldn't help himself from saying, "It's good of you not to trust me. Smart. But you should know, Azula's far more cunning than I am, at everything she does – that's why she's _always_ been Father's favorite – and she'll come after you, she'll come after you more ruthlessly now that she knows you can't be persuaded. She'll harm you. She'll harm your friends. J-Just…be careful."

"I _am_ being careful," Aang replied, gazing up at the firebender in front of him. Zuko wouldn't meet his eyes, but Aang knew that he had the prince's attention. "But careful isn't good enough. Not after what we've just gotten out of." He was speaking about Katara's departure and capture, which had inadvertently led to his, Toph's, and Sokka's capture. "And I know that the only way for us to remain a real threat to the Fire Lord is that if we remain _together,_ and if we grow _stronger._"

Zuko raised his eyes at this, admiring the Avatar's wisdom. He knew that Aang was over a hundred years old, but had only matured to age twelve before being frozen. Standing a little taller, he met Aang's eyes grimly.

Inclining his head, Aang didn't break his eye contact with Zuko as he said, "And in order for us to get stronger, I need to learn how to firebend." He tried not to giggle as he saw the pale firebender turn even paler. "And I think you'd be a great teacher."

Sokka's jaw almost hit the ground as he bellowed, "_What?!"_

Aang startled, turning to face his friend. "I mean it," he said, eyes wide. "I believe him, Sokka."

"No, _fuck no,_ you don't!" Sokka growled. "You're only in this because _Katara_ says it's okay!" He almost stomped away, but his pride made him stay. He wouldn't run away from Zuko. Not ever.

Trying to ignore the small smile on his sister's face, he glared at Aang. "How _could_ you, Aang? After all he's done!"

"I'm _sorry," _Zuko said, his voice hoarse from the truth. His heart was beating so fast and hard that he could feel it thudding in his palms. Exasperated, he looked to Katara. "I can't apologize enough, to _any_ of you. And I know I don't deserve to be a part of you."

"Then why are you even trying?" Sokka hissed. "Teenage rebellion? Or are we just convenient because you've been banished again?"

"No! I want to help! I can't make that any clearer than it already is," Zuko declared. "I'm repenting, trust me. I just want to overthrow my father and do what you're doing. I want to unite the world again. I…I want to be your guys' friend."

"Yargh!" His foot connected with a nearby tree as Sokka tried to be violent towards something that Toph wouldn't knock him over for. "I can't believe you guys. This doesn't even make _sense,_" he shouted. Holding his head, he tried to force away the pounding headache that was taking form in his head. "The whole family is crazy! Fire Lord Crazy, Princess Crazy, and if you _haven't already been introduced,_ which I'm pretty sure you _have,_ _this_ is Prince Crazy!" He thrust an accusing finger at Zuko.

Blinking slowly, Zuko steeled himself against Sokka's anger. "I've changed," he said to Sokka. Then, to everyone in general, "You have my word. I promise you, I'll take care of you as best I can. I'll help you. I'll train with Aang. I have friends in good places. I have things to offer," he reasoned. "I know I'm not a huge ally. But I'm reliable. I'm abandoning whatever corruption I've induced and—"

"_Better men have hit their knees,"_ Sokka snarled.

"That's what I keep _saying,_" Zuko groaned, slapping a hand to his forehead.

Sokka went to say something more, but Katara cut him off. "Guys, stop arguing," she hissed, moving to stand next to Aang in front of Zuko. "Aang's voted."

"Well, you can count _my_ vote against," Sokka growled back at her. "I already put up with Ty Lee and the uncle."

All heads seemed to simultaneously turn to Toph, who was standing a little ways away from the rest of him, arms still crossed. As if sensing their stares, she went, "Does that mean I have to vote, too?"

"Yeah," Aang, Katara, and Sokka said in unison.

Making a rude noise that was somewhere between a groan and a sigh, Toph uncrossed her arms and walked over to join the group. "I don't really have any problems with it like Sokka does, but do you really think it's a good idea? I mean, you guys _have_ hated him for longer than I've even been with you…"

"Exactly," Sokka muttered.

"W-Well," Katara began, looking down at her hands. She couldn't seem to stop fidgeting. "It's been a month, you guys. I've spent the entire past month with him, and I know he's really changed." She swallowed, glancing at Zuko, then Aang. "He's telling the truth."

"Yeah, but he could've pulled some creepy Fire Nation magic trick and _brainwashed_ you," said her brother. "It's not like he didn't have enough time to do it!"

Zuko cocked his good eyebrow. "I don't know any creepy magic tricks that would brainwash someone," he said. "That's more Azula's thing now, since she's in control of the Dai Li."

"Shut _up,"_ Sokka hissed at him. "I didn't mean literally!"

"_Guys,"_ Katara said vehemently over whatever response was about to come out of Zuko. "You're like two little boys! Let Toph speak." Placing herself in between the two, she made a show of paying attention to the earthbender.

Toph scratched the back of her head. "Uh, thanks. Um, I guess if Aang really wants him for a teacher…we can do it. But that doesn't mean you're allowed to do whatever you want to do. I think we should at least supervise him."

"You've gotta be kidding me," Sokka muttered.

"I'm not," replied Toph. "I'm not saying it makes me the most comfortable person in the world, but we need to think more about what Aang needs as the Avatar. Zuko's connected to the royal family, and he's a firebender. I think the circus freak and Uncle Iroh are on our side, too, so…"

"Thank you," Zuko said to her. "I'll help you in any way I can."

"Don't make us regret this," she warned. "I'll have no trouble _burying_ you if you try to harm any of us."

* * *

"…Sokka?"

Katara's voice wafted through the air to him, and he jumped a little. He hadn't heard her come up behind him; hadn't even wanted to be found. Blinking slowly to focus his thoughts, he raised his head and turned a little, looking over his shoulder in her general direction, but not at her.

"How long did it take for you to notice I was gone, Katara?" he asked, snorting. They'd been eating dinner around a small fire which Zuko had ever-so-swiftly produced. They hadn't traveled too far, but they were heading back to Ba Sing Se, to sneak in and join forces once again with Ty Lee and Iroh.

"I noticed the moment you stood up and left," Katara replied, shocked that he would even ask that question. "I just figured you wanted to be alone."

"I did," he said, then felt instantly crappy for how harsh his voice had sounded. He wasn't mad at her, not anymore. He'd been thinking about her decision, and Aang's decision, and Toph's decision. Although Zuko was basically the scum of the earth, if he could teach Aang, if he could contribute, he would be useful.

"Oh…well…"

"Yeah?" he asked with the same hesitance. He didn't really want to hear some explanation for why she'd allowed Zuko to stay. If she'd been with the firebender for a month and she thought he'd changed, then Sokka would try to accept that. What he couldn't accept was the fact that, while Zuko could contribute and be of use to them – he, _Sokka,_ couldn't.

"I'm sorry," she said, surprising him. "I'm really sorry." This time he heard her take a step forward then lurch to a halt, as if she were afraid to approach him or something. Normally, he would've rolled his eyes, but this time, he understood. She went on, "I know you're angry about it, and I'm a little surprised that he was accepted so easily, but…"

"It doesn't matter," he replied. "It's done, now. Aang wants it, and I guess that's what's important, right?" He was crouching with his arms resting on his knees, and he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet as he said, "You and Aang usually make the big decisions anyway."

Sokka heard her take in a deep breath. He could see her without looking; he knew how she was standing, what her face looked like. She was his sister, his best friend. If there was one person he knew better than anyone, it was her. So he knew that her hands were clasped and fidgeting in front of her, by her skirt. He knew her head was bowed slightly forward so that her hair draped the sides of her face. And he knew that her eyebrows were turned slightly upward at the inner edges, so that a teeny line formed between them.

"We voted, Sokka. Yours was the only one against, but that doesn't make you any less important in this situation, or to us." Her voice was quiet. She took another step closer, as if he were a wild animal and she didn't want to frighten him away.

Turning his face away from her again, he looked out over the bushes and small trees, towards the moon. Sometimes, especially times like these, he'd talk to Yue. Even though she couldn't really respond, he'd still tell her things. He'd talk about everything and nothing; about the latest developments in their goal of defeating the Fire Lord, or about how he'd eaten a tasty fish that afternoon. Sokka always felt her presence around this time, like she was with him. He knew she didn't mind when he talked about Suki, or when he didn't talk much on certain nights and just went straight to sleep.

Feeling her around him, in the air and on his skin – not exactly solid or visible, he wondered if Katara and the other waterbenders always felt this safe under the moon. Since he wasn't with his fellow warriors at home anymore, this was the only time he felt truly connected to the water tribe.

"That's where you're wrong." His voice shook as he said it, but at least he'd finally gotten it out. Sometimes he liked to think that it had started when they'd met Aang, but the truth was that it had only grown worse. It had really started when he'd realized the difference between himself and Katara; not that they were boy-and-girl, sister-and-brother type thing, but the fact that she was a bender and he wasn't.

"What do you mean?" she asked, taking the final step closer to him and slowly kneeling down, until she sat on her feet beside him. Not moving to touch him, she looked up at Yue—the moon too, and sighed under its glow.

"I mean I'm not important," he said as calmly as possible. He wouldn't allow himself to get emotional over something like this; he _wouldn't._ "I'm not individual, like you. I can be replaced. But you guys – each of you has a role in helping the Avatar. I'm just the funny guy."

"That's not true," Katara argued, turning to face him. He didn't meet her eyes; just kept staring out over the wilderness. "Sokka! You're my brother, and you're our best friend. You get food and you talk our way out of a lot of things. You're a bigger help on missions than Aang or I am, and you're _very_ important, to all of us."

"Then why am I overlooked all the time? No one ever thinks, 'Hey! Let's kidnap the Avatar's waterbending teacher's brother! That'll do some damage!' – No, the only time I'm important to _them_ is when I'm with one of you!"

"Sokka—"

"And should we even mention how, even though I'm _so_ unimportant, they'll still use me to hurt someone? I'm like, an _excuse."_ Sokka's breathing was now ragged, and his face contorted in frustration as he let out a huge groan.

Katara threw her brother a puzzled look, but he wasn't watching her. His eyes were still glued to the moon, as if he were asking it for guidance. She knew that he viewed the moon as Yue, and she sometimes did too. The look in his eyes was so impossibly _sad._ "Why are you saying all this?" she asked, although she already knew the reason. Sure enough, he voiced it, turning to look at her in anguish.

"It's because I miss _Suki,_ Katara! I miss her, and I miss _Dad,_ and I miss Mom, and I miss our whole tribe back home! I'm tired of being on the run all the time and not even being a help to anyone!"

"You know that's not true—" she reached for him, but he brushed her off.

"It _is _true. I can't even bend at all! I just wave around a sword until you guys take care of everything! You've got Aang, who's a _master_ airbender, and Toph, who's a _master_ earthbender, and Zuko, who's a _master_ firebender, and then there's you, who's a _master_ waterbender! And me? I'm _nothing."_ Sokka let out a noise that sounded both like a snarl and a sob. He turned away, scrubbing at his face with the back of his hand, and Katara wasn't sure whether she'd be allowed to comfort him.

Putting a hesitant hand on his shoulder, she said, "We'll get her out, I promise. Don't forget that Suki and Dad can look after themselves. They're tough, right? It's okay to worry, Sokka. I know _I_ do. But you have to have a little faith."

"Faith in _what?_ The fact that while they're in prison – probably a _Fire Nation_ prison, getting crappy food and crappy treatment by firebending guards, _I'm_ sitting here eating and being with you guys and exploring the world? I can't have any honest fun without feeling guilty." His shoulders shook, and his voice was torn, but he went on: "I just hate watching you guys laugh all the time. I hate having a good time with you when Suki's probably being _tortured_ for information about us, just because _I'm_ connected to the Avatar – it's all my fault."

"It's not your fault," Katara countered, finally giving in to her urges and embracing her brother. He willingly leaned his head against her shoulder, and she felt him shake as he sobbed quietly. "None of this is your fault, Sokka. The only person responsible for this is the Fire Lord."

"Suki was the only one like me, and now she's gone," he choked, letting tears fall freely onto Katara's red shirt. "She was the only one who understood me when I talked about not being a bender – she _helped_ me so much. She told – she told me that it was okay, and that I could be better than I was without having to be a bender." He paused to let out an exasperated sob, squeezing his eyes shut and rocking back and forth, like a child. He hated that he was being so childish. Wasn't _he_ supposed to be the one taking care of his sibling? Katara was his little sister.

"We'll get her back," Katara promised. "We'll find her. We'll get Zuko's help, and we'll find her."

"How can _Zuko_ help?" he asked. It was the first mention of the prince since the beginning of the conversation.

"He knows about firebending guards, and the prisons," she replied eagerly. "And Ty Lee does, too. And together, they can get Mai on our side. She, uh, she found us and told us to visit Iroh – and then he told us about Azula's plan, but that's not the point – the point is, she's obviously, uh, allied to Zuko over Azula. They were…involved, I guess."

"Mai and Azula?" Sokka asked.

"No! Mai and _Zuko."_

"Oh," Sokka said. "He's just one big drama queen, isn't he?"

"At first," she replied. "But after, he's not so bad." She let her brother go as he moved to sit up, wiping his face again with the back of his hand. It seemed like he'd calmed down, and that was good. That was really, really good.

"What, are you two like, best friends now?" he asked sarcastically, and she couldn't resist giggling.

"Never," she retorted, standing up. "Come on, let's go back. There's still some food left." She held out a hand to him, and he grabbed it, pulling himself to his feet.

"Katara?" he asked, making sure he looked normal. He wouldn't dare go out in front of the others if he looked like a giant crybaby.

"Hmm?" she asked, still tugging on his hand as she walked ahead of him.

"I love you."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Welp, it's been a while! (Three months, ahaha...ha. Sorry.) I've been busy with school and whatnot, and other fics like The Boy Who Fell From Grace. (Read that! It's a crossover of Draco Malfoy and the eleventh Doctor!) But here's chapter 14, long-awaited. It was very tough to write this, because I wasn't sure how I wanted to go about making Zutara and the rest of the Gaang meet up. Finally, I just decided, what the hell, and made it happen unexpectedly! I really hope you enjoy this although I know it's a bit choppy.

**Anyways, please leave reviews! They're the life of this story, I think.  
**


	15. A Chance to Bloom

They traveled back to Ba Sing Se. Sokka led the way, with Aang and Toph behind him, and then Katara and Zuko behind _them._ The Water Tribe soldier felt it was orderly. He was as far from Zuko as he thought necessary. Humming a little, he would tune out the others' talking about how to train Aang. (Sometimes he wondered if he'd like to train Aang how to fight with a sword, but then he remembered – Aang was the _Avatar._ Master of all four elements. Why would he need a sword?) Toph and Katara were busy giving Zuko pointers, and Aang was silently listening – that's all Sokka knew.

Zuko wasn't really paying attention to the earthbender; he just watched as Katara and Aang talked to each other about the silliest things, and felt uneasy in his stomach. Katara hadn't talked about silly things with _him._

Iroh and Ty Lee welcomed them back as if they'd never mysteriously disappeared in the early morning without leaving a note or anything. Leaving notes implied friendship, and they weren't sure that's what they wanted with the people that had been close to the Fire Lord and his daughter.

Yet again, they now carried the Fire Prince as their ally. How strange.

"Uncle," Zuko said, unashamedly reaching for Iroh. The old man greeted his nephew with a hug, replying, "I've missed you."

Katara stared at Ty Lee with wide eyes and moved in front of Aang, but Toph calmed her and told her that Ty Lee was in the same position as Zuko and his uncle. Katara accepted this – she'd be a hypocrite not to – and shook Ty Lee's hand; the other girl smiled awkwardly and blushed a little as Toph explained her allegiance.

Sokka grouched in the corner as they all sat down for supper; it'd been a long walk and although they hadn't met any dangers along the way, they were exhausted. Tea and soup were served and everybody had seconds; thirds. Having left Appa and Momo in a nearby swamp, they didn't plan on staying long.

"Zuko's going to teach me how to firebend," Aang said, attempting to make conversation. Katara smiled and Toph said nothing; Sokka snorted. Zuko paled a little, and Katara thought that it'd be weird for him to blush deeply – his complexion was so pale.

Iroh sat back, folding his hands over his belly, and stared at his nephew. His stare was not disapproving or confused – instead, it was appreciative, like he was proud of Zuko for accomplishing what he'd set out to do. Ty Lee just shrugged took a swig of her tea.

"I, uh, I think he'll be a great teacher," Aang said in a smaller voice. "The last time I tried to firebend, I burnt Katara."

Zuko set his cup down hard and looked over Aang's head at Katara, who simply stared back. Shooting him a look, she seemed to say, _Not now._ Zuko obliged, but it felt like his entire head was filled with steam. She'd probably healed herself; he saw no scars.

Aang carried on, oblivious. "And that was the end of that," he said. "Until now, you know."

"Being burnt _hurts,"_ Zuko said sourly, ending that conversation.

* * *

They gave Katara a sky-blue room, between Aang's and Zuko's. She was amazed at the upper hall; from the staircase, there were six separate rooms, as if the house had been built to accommodate them. Ty Lee's was first on the left – Katara didn't know the color. Toph's was next but on the right side of the hall, and it was dark orange. Then, Aang's room, which was creamy white and yellow. Then Sokka's; dark green. Iroh's came next on the left, and from a teeny glimpse inside when he said goodnight to everyone, Katara knew that it was purple in there. Zuko's room was the last down the hall, right next to hers. It was a dark red-hued room, and she could hear him moving around on the opposite side of the wall.

Currently he was pacing back and forth; angrily, from the speed at which he was going. Katara knew that he should be left alone and he'd come out if he wanted to talk to anyone, so she didn't go knock on his door to ask him what was wrong.

Instead, she turned and stared out the window, thinking about everything and nothing. The incessant pacing from the other room led into the hallway, and Zuko stood outside the door, not knocking, just standing. Katara thought it was a little peculiar, but said, "You can come in if you like."

The door opened and he walked in, his hair a ruffled mess and his eyes furious. His hands were balled at his sides. Katara just looked at him, dreading the oncoming conversation. It was a silly topic, but Zuko didn't seem to think so, even though everything was already done and she was fine.

"He _burned_ you?" said the prince, his voice low. His voice almost shook, and Katara tried not to sigh.

"Like he said, it was an accident." She folded her arms nonchalantly. "It's over and done now, Zuko. It was a while ago, anyway."

"How could he be so _careless_—"

"Do you really have the right to say that?" she snapped. "You've tried to _kill_ me with your fire."

Zuko flinched. "I'm sorry," he said. "You know that."

"I do," she said. "I also know that Aang was a lot sorrier than you were. It was an _accident,_ Zuko. He didn't mean to. _You _did," she added, to make her point. "Look, I know it's, uh, a sensitive subject, but I'm fine. I understand why you're angry, but that anger needs to leave now because it's unnecessary."

"Is it? Is it really?" His face was something between upset and astounded. "Katara, he needs to be in control. If he's not in control of the fire, it'll eat _everybody_ around him alive."

"I'm aware," Katara said testily. "But I trust him. Now let it go."

"Do you trust me?" Zuko asked, and he didn't know why he did, but he did.

"You're near Aang and still alive. What do you think?"

He swallowed. "Touché." Looking away, he said, "I'm sorry. I-I just…Do you like him?"

Katara blushed. "Like Aang?" she replied. "Why, is it important?" She fiddled with a piece of her hair, suddenly focusing on all the little things in the room, like the fact that the small rug that she was standing on had a dog-eared corner.

"What do you think?" he said, throwing her words back at her.

Katara scowled. "I do," she snapped. Then, more quietly, "But we're not in a _relationship,_ Zuko. We made that clear."

"I was there," he retorted. "I was there for all of it."

"And it's not like you don't have feelings for Mai," Katara hissed, scowling again. Her arms were still folded but she had the urge to move; had the urge to pace around like he'd just been doing in his own room.

"She was mature and smart," Zuko said. "Is Aang mature and smart?"

"More than you know. Probably even more than you, from the way you're acting right now."

"Oh? And how am I acting?" Zuko splayed his hands out to the sides, as if he were making himself a bigger target for her to hit. "Jealous?"

Katara faltered. "Yeah, actually. Yeah, you are. And you know what? I was actually beginning to genuinely like you."

"Well, now that you've got your main boy back, I guess you can forget all about me." Zuko knew it was cheesy and dramatic to say, but the words spilled out of his head as soon as he thought them. He was suddenly thankful that they were having such a quiet argument; if they were yelling and Sokka heard them, Zuko would be booted out the door and onto the street.

"I think I will!" Katara replied, suddenly feeling just as foolish. "Aang's _honest._ He keeps promises. He doesn't keep secrets."

"_What_ promises have I made?" Zuko growled. "What _secrets_ have I kept?"

Katara's voice cut off. Then, venomously, she said, "You broke my _trust._ Back under Ba Sing Se. This very city," she added icily, throwing a hand out to indicate all around them. "I was beginning to _trust_ you, Zuko. And then you made me _eat _that."

"I made no allegiance then," hissed the firebender, exhaling steam into her face. She had half a mind to freeze it, but didn't. "You can't just swap hate for love and then reverse it, Katara."

"I don't love you," Katara growled back at him. "So stop trying to make me hate you."

"One doesn't cancel out the other, you know," he warned, his voice suddenly softer. "I'm not _trying_ to make you feel something. It's actually better if you don't feel anything for me at all."

"Then get out," she said, her eyes terribly furious. _Get out._

So he did.

* * *

Zuko went down the stairs and into the kitchen. It was dark now, with the sun completely vanished to the other side of the earth, and he'd never felt weaker without it. Something moved in the darkness and he started, forming a fireball in his hand without having to think.

Sokka's face lit up; the Water Tribe boy was sitting at the table, hands folded in front of his mouth with his elbows resting on the wooden surface – and he was staring straight at Zuko.

"Problem?" he asked darkly, raising his chin and leaning back to stare more levelly at the firebender across from him. "Sit down," he commanded. "We can talk about it."

Zuko scratched the back of his head. "I have a feeling you don't want to talk about the actual problem."

"If the actual problem is Aang and Katara, then sit," Sokka said icily. "I saw your reaction to when he said he'd burnt her. So let's talk about it."

The prince raised his eyebrows, but obliged. Pulling out the chair across and to the right of Sokka, he sat down, trying to keep a neutral face. This setting seemed really somber; or maybe it was just Katara's brother's mood and his own that attracted the darkness? Zuko felt like it should be raining to be this dark already, but he shook his head to clear it and returned Sokka's stony gaze.

"Aang loves Katara more than anything else," Sokka said quietly, just in case someone might be trying to eavesdrop. He suspected Ty Lee would; maybe for her own knowledge or that of the Fire Princess's. "We learned that the difficult way. There are two ways he can't control himself; one being that he can't access the Avatar State when he needs to, and when he can't stop it because he's so angry."

"But he's not out of control." Zuko knew that Aang might seem careless about some things, but with Katara and the rest of the world on top of the kid's shoulders, Zuko bet that the Avatar could manage to control himself.

"He's immature," Sokka explained. "I'm not that much older than him, neither are you or Katara. Even Toph," he added. "The point is, Aang's not as…hardened as we all are. You'd think all this would have a terrible effect on his psyche, but he's still as optimistic as ever – which isn't bad, but he really needs to grow up. And I'm not sure that he should learn how to firebend until he grows up."

Zuko sighed heavily. "Learning to firebend is pretty sobering," he recalled. "There's a lot more responsibility than airbending or waterbending. Hit someone with earth, they'll be bruised. Hit someone with air, they'll get knocked over. Hit someone with water, and they'll be wet. But if you hit someone with fire…"

Sokka's eyes moved to the prince's scarring. "They burn," he said, finishing Zuko's sentence. "And they'll keep burning, won't they?"

The firebender nodded solemnly. "It all depends on the firebender. And if he loses control and everything goes awry, it'll be too big of a mess for him to fix. He's the Avatar; he's a peaceful figure. And with this war, if he's not ready, he'll burn too."

The soldier's eyebrows furrowed as he dipped his head forward, leaning his mouth against his folded hands; his arms still propped up against the table. "Do you think you can scare him into maturity? I mean…did it work for _you?"_

"Yeah, it worked," Zuko said, nodding again. He leaned forward against the table as well, hunching over and brushing his inky black hair out of his eyes. Resting his head in his hand, he said, "Of course I can scare him. I'm a pretty scary guy, apparently."

Sokka scoffed. "Not to me." He quirked a half-smile at the firebender across from him, then said, "And Katara?"

"I make her angry," Zuko said. "But she's my friend."

"I make her angry, too," Sokka replied. "She can really be a hothead sometimes. Not more than me, but she gets really pissy."

"Believe me, I know," the prince assured him. "She uh, she goes between kinda being okay with me, and then hating me, and then just being—"

"A drama queen?" Sokka finished for him.

"Uh, yeah," Zuko agreed, although he wasn't sure that that was the description he was looking for. Maybe more like 'the most infuriating person he'd ever met, besides his family and Jet.' He smirked, then sobered, realizing that Katara's anger never went away too easily. "And I understand why," he said, exasperated. "I understand why she _hates_ me. Who _wouldn't, _after the things I've done? I hate me, too. And she's got this idea that I betrayed her," he added, slapping his forehead. "And I don't know _why._ I never made any allegiances with you guys before this. And I'm not going to go back on that, so why…?"

"Dude, you _say_ you understand, but you really, _really_ don't, do you?" Sokka crossed his arms and leaned back against his chair, giving Zuko a scrutinizing look. "I know you didn't say you were our ally. But under Ba Sing Se," he said, and Zuko flinched. "_Under Ba Sing Se,_" he continued, "something happened. When we got there, we asked her if you'd hurt her in any way, or threatened her…and she said no. She said you guys had _talked_."

"Yeah, so?" Zuko's good eyebrow raised in puzzlement.

"_So,_" Sokka said, mouth opening widely to emphasize the obviousness of what he was about to say, "You guys had a _moment._ You know what a 'moment' is to girls, right? It's like, a type of bonding. You guys were close, even if just for a short period of time. And to Katara…if you're close, if you can see the reasoning in another, you can be friends. She'll befriend you, even if it's hard. Because she needs friends, too."

"So…she thought we were friends after that? Is that what you're saying?" Zuko asked dumbly. Sokka nodded, and Zuko decided he wouldn't mention the fact that he too had thought they were friends.

"Sokka," he said, using the other boy's name for the first time that he could remember. "Don't tell Katara I told you this – no, don't tell _anyone_ I told you this – but what we talked about, or at least a part of what we talked about under the Earth Kingdom…Katara offered to…_heal_ me." He felt Sokka's eyes fall on his scarring again, but his voice didn't waver. He was stronger than that. "She explained that she could do it, with the water…But after, Aang and my uncle came, and I had to make a choice between Katara and my uncle."

"I don't understand where this is going," Sokka said softly, squinting a little at the firebender across from him. "What are trying to say?"

"I'm _saying,_" Zuko replied, sounding as if he was forcing it out, "that I wasn't sure if my uncle would make it out of there okay. And I knew that if I showed…allegiance to my sister, she might refrain from hurting him."

"Good for you," Sokka said sarcastically. "But what does it matter?"

"It matters because I knew Aang was alive," Zuko said, finally spitting it out. "I knew that Katara had probably healed him with the water from the Spirit Oasis…I knew the power…and I went with Azula."

Sokka went still and pale, staring at Zuko with large, blue eyes that reminded the firebender so much of Katara. "Holy Boomerang," Sokka breathed. "You _knew?"_

Zuko nodded, looking away. "I figured healing Aang was a bigger importance than healing me. I wasn't put off or anything."

"Wait, let me get this straight – you _knew _Aang, the _Avatar,_ was alive, but you didn't say anything to your sister or the Fire Lord?" Sokka's eyes went even wider with his incredulous tone, and he leaned forward to look Zuko in the eye.

Zuko shook his head, blinking at Sokka. "Not a word," he replied solemnly.

"You could've told your sister. You could've been _huge_ in your kingdom_—_"

"I know," Zuko said. "Trust me, I know. But there was some satisfaction in watching her talk to my father about how she'd killed the Avatar. You know. Like, when Aang resurfaced, her surprise…it was probably one of the best things I could've hoped for."

Sokka nodded, grinning from ear to ear, then sobered a bit. "So…technically…you really _didn't_ betray Katara."

Zuko laughed suddenly, an outburst that shocked the both of them. "I don't think it's the same thing," he remarked. "But it was probably a bigger favor than staying with her right then."

"Are you gonna tell her?" asked the other boy. His face was open but unreadable; he expressed merely interest. "That'd probably make up for a lot, if that's her big problem with you."

_You think that's her big problem with me? Then maybe I should tell you about this past month,_ Zuko thought, keeping his face neutral. "No," he said after a moment of considering. He didn't really think it'd do much more anyways, despite her having brought it up just minutes ago. "No, it's too complicated." He meant their entire situation, but Sokka didn't know that. _Interpret that as you like,_ thought Zuko.

"Isn't everything?" Sokka asked, not expecting an answer. "I know it seems all glorious, running with the Avatar and all, but gosh if it doesn't wear you out. It's probably same on the other end of that, you know: _chasing_ the Avatar, but you can take a break if you want. You're not being hunted, you know? I'm not saying like, turn back or anything. I'm just saying, whatever you've expected, as the exiled prince with Azula as your sister…everything just got worse. You don't have a group of guards and a giant ship. All you've got is us. And that's not bad. But the responsibility and the fear can eat you alive, sometimes."

"I'm prepared," Zuko replied, imagining whether it were possible or not for Azula to get worse. "I've lived with them all my life; I'm prepared."

Sokka shifted back in his chair, lowering his arms to rest folded on the table. "You're not as bad as I expected you to be," he began, "but I won't hesitate to kill you if you try to make a move against us."

Zuko shrugged, "I've given you no reason not to say that. But I have a feeling I'll grow on you."

"Oh?"

"Katara hated me more than you do," Zuko explained, raising an eyebrow. "And she's warmed up to me." He wasn't sure if Sokka would perceive that as a pun or not, but he let it go. It wasn't important.

The other boy grumbled something unintelligible. Turning his head to stare out the window, his eyes found the moon and he remembered the previous night. All too quickly and in the most inappropriate of company, the wave of Suki-and-Yue guilt ran over him like he was being held underwater for good. Coughing, he said, "We'll see."

Zuko sat and stared as Sokka stood, scraping his chair back and yawning. "Hey, I'm gonna take a walk," said Sokka. "If I don't come back, I was probably eaten by the Dai Li."

* * *

Katara sat in her temporary bedroom, braiding her hair and staring out the window; it calmed her. She realized she'd overreacted to Zuko, and now sat quietly as she went through the conversation again. Squeezing her eyes shut, she thought, _Dummy. _

There was a knock at the door, and Katara said, "Come in." Her voice was quiet and controlled so Zuko wouldn't get angrier; sometimes she felt like she was dealing with children. But, instead of the prince entering the room, it was Toph. "Uh, do you need something?" Katara asked in a small voice, hoping that didn't sound rude. "It's so great to see you again, I missed you."

"Affection, blah," Toph replied with a smirk, raising a hand and waving it in a shooing motion in the general direction of Katara. "Hi."

"Hi," Katara replied, looking confused.

There was a moment of silence while Toph shuffled her feet, dipping her head down a little so that her hair fell in her face. Slowly, she said, "I uh, I heard you and Sparky. Not the conversation, but the raised voices."

"Oh gosh," Katara said, groaning. "Look, it's nothing—"

"I just wanted to ask if you were okay. I know you wanted Aang and Sokka and I all to accept him and stuff and now everyone's tense or fighting…except me and Aang."

Katara smiled a little as she chuckled, listening to Toph. "I'm fine, Toph. Thank you for asking. It's just that he can be so bull-headed sometimes."

"What were you arguing about?" Toph asked innocently. "It sounded like it got pretty intense pretty quickly."

Pondering the worth of telling Toph about her love life, Katara took a moment to figure out her answer. Eventually, she replied with, "He's…jealous. Of Aang. Please don't tell Sokka. Or Aang, for that matter."

"Wait – _what?"_ Toph stage-whispered, her blind eyes going wide. Eyebrows raised, she walked towards Katara with a bewildered expression. Katara had never really seen Toph look surprised, so it was a surprise to Katara as well.

"You can't tell anyone," she ordered to the younger girl, and Toph nodded. "I mean it, if you say anything about this to anyone at all, it's going to turn out _bad._ Not just for me, but for Zuko and Aang and Sokka and probably you too."

"Got it," Toph nodded, her expression still confused. "These lips are sealed," she said, running a finger across her mouth.

"Good," Katara said. _I can't believe I'm about to do this. _"Uh…well, over the past month or so – I don't know how long it was, really. Maybe a month and a half," she said nervously, listening as her voice shook in her throat. She looked up and away from Toph, at the ceiling, swallowing anxiously. "Well, you see, I spent most of that month-and-a-half with Zuko. And, uh, that's a long time. Not a super long time, but long enough…to develop feelings…"

Toph blinked and repeated the word that Katara had tried to smooth over. "Feelings?"

The waterbender groaned again and said, "Yes, Toph. Feelings. Big, mushy, gooey feelings!" She threw her hands up in exasperation and stood up, feeling the urge to pace around. "For Zuko."

"Ohhhhhh," Toph smirked, drawing out the vowels. "Like, you looooo—"

"I don't _love_ him!" Katara hissed before Toph could finish. She didn't feel bad at all for her snappy tone. "I just…like him. And he's mad because he thinks I like Aang."

"Do you like Aang?" Toph asked.

Katara felt stumped. "A little, I guess. I don't know. I don't even know if I really like Zuko or if just being around him for a month and a half mixed up my feelings. I got to know him a little, not much, and he's not actually a bad guy…and I'm not sure if I'm overstepping the feeling limit for liking someone, you know? I mean, I'm not sure if I like him as a person, or I like him as in…like him."

"What made you like him?" Toph asked, prodding. Katara both liked and disliked that about the earthbender; sometimes she could really _pry,_ but other times, she wrung out the truth when it was paramount. "His bad-boy charm?" teased the younger girl.

"No!" Katara snapped, then giggled a little. "Ugh. No, I like him because he cares. I didn't think he cared about anything other than himself, but I was wrong. He…he wants to help us, you know? To defeat his family. I'm not saying that there's not anything in it for him, but he knows that Azula and Fire Lord Ozai are _wrong._ He's passionate about that. He's stubborn, and he cares about the world, not just his honor."

There were other things, but…she kept them private. Not because Toph might not understand (Katara had never understood the thing about age), but because the privacy of the closest moments that she and Zuko had shared felt…sacred.

She blushed at that thought. "I think he's honorable," she continued shyly. "He has a good heart; a good mind. He's brilliant, but nobody knows because of this _war._ He's like a flame, dwindling and flickering and almost going out, but then sparking and smarting and burning bright, like the _sun."_

Toph took all of it in stride, ignoring the cheesiness. "And Aang?"

Katara smiled. "They're both like their elements. Aang is like air, mostly. He's light and free and falling and kind. Then he's like water, you know. He's heavy and doesn't go away easily. Resilient. Earth…he's like earth when he's bending. He's strong and powerful but he doesn't hurt anyone."

Toph smirked again. "What am I like?"

Giggling a little, Katara walked over to the other girl and said, "You're a big, solid, sarcastic rock. You're stubborn and powerful and dangerous and strong. You're tough, but not apathetic. I like that about you."

"Do you loooove me?" Toph sing-songed.

"Not like that," Katara laughed. She brushed a stray, wavy strand of hair out of her face. "But it's hard to choose. I don't want to, not this early anyway. I value both of them. Aang a little more than Zuko, but…I'm so young."

"You're old," Toph teased.

"Shut up."

* * *

Toph left Katara's room after a while, claiming she needed to sleep. She said that Aang was more or less asleep by now, and Sokka probably was, too. She didn't comment on whether or not Zuko's uncle and Ty Lee were awake, but it didn't really matter.

Zuko came in when he realized that it'd be a while before Sokka returned from his walk. It was a smart thing: to go walking when the streets are deserted and lit by moonlight. He used to do it at 'home,' when the pressure of his father and Azula had been too much for him.

Sneaking out of his room at night, he knew he couldn't completely escape the watch of the guards. He would take his shoes off and walk through the palace, and it was the most calming thing at that time.

Katara was surprised, again, to see him enter her room, but he'd knocked quietly and she'd said yes.

"I was way out of line," he said softly, not meeting her eyes. She leaned against the closest wall, crossing her arms, but not aggressively. As always, when talking about things like this, she felt awkward. The tension from the earlier argument laced their words, but it had faded to a smoke rather than a flame; water, rather than ice.

Katara nodded. "Yes, you were." Taking a few steps toward him, she continued: "It's not a competition, Zuko. We made it out to be that way. I…don't know. About Aang, or about you, or if I might meet someone _tomorrow."_ She wasn't exactly being honest there, but it was the most soothing explanation she could muster.

"I know," Zuko said. She thought he might mean that he knew what she meant, but he went on, "I know about you."

She cocked her head to one side like a bird, and he met her eyes then. They were round and large and blue; the moonlight shining through the window lit her face, smooth and intricate, and the prince was overcome with the feeling of déjà vu.

_I know about you too,_ she wanted to say, but couldn't. Something was holding her back; she wasn't sure if it was Aang or Sokka or…She cared too much about how Aang would be heartbroken, and how Sokka would be disillusioned, and even _Mai,_ who she didn't like at all, might feel.

_The closest I've ever been to someone,_ he'd said when Katara had asked if he and Mai had been close. _Besides my uncle._

"I don't want you to hate me," Zuko went on, calling her away from her troubled thoughts. He did that so easily; probably because when he was on her mind, he was too large and powerful and reaction-provoking to let anything else into her mind; he filled her head, in a way. "So I'm sorry that I acted out. It was wrong."

Katara stared into his burning eyes, her mouth suddenly dry and her tongue seemingly heavy, as if it'd gone numb. His hair was a mess, as if he'd spent a good amount of the time he was out of the room shoving it away from his face. Knowing Zuko, he probably had.

She caught the end of that thought, and turned it over in her mind. _Knowing Zuko,_ she thought to herself. _What do I know of Zuko?_

She knew that he was brave. Defiant towards the things that he thought were wrong. He would rebel against his own family for the sake of good – for the sake of the _world._ He'd made so many sacrifices and come so far; he'd turned over a thousand new leaves to get to where he was standing right now. He'd changed; definitely, infinitely changed.

_I know that you're beautiful,_ she thought towards him, although she couldn't say it. _You're so painfully beautiful to me. _Katara remembered how angry he'd gotten when he'd scared off the drunken men who had intended to rape her, in the town that had held the Black Celebration.

"I accept your apology," she said hoarsely, chastising herself for not clearing her throat first. There was a huge, aching, welling lump in the middle of it, and when she swallowed, it only got bigger.

"Katara?" he asked softly, sensing her distress.

She waved a hand. "It's nothing," she said, although she didn't mean it. _I should probably apologize, too. It's not like I didn't get competitive…_"I'm sorry too, Zuko."

They'd never really hugged before; not when they were dancing and after they kissed, she fell into his arms, not when they were in a Southern Water Tribe house…

His arms went around her at the same times her arms went around him, and he cradled her head into the crook of his neck with his right hand, while his left pressed her shoulder to him. Her arms came up and around his back, clutching towards his spine with a scary intensity; she couldn't stop it, they had a mind of their own.

"I want you to know that I trust you," he breathed, and his warm firebender breath seeped into her hair, sending tingles down her scalp. "You're right up there with my uncle. I mean it."

Another provocative statement, Katara thought, but the thought was bittersweet, not bitter. It was time to tell Zuko the truth, she knew, and she was scared. She was so scared.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she took a deep, steadying breath, involuntarily drawing his torso closer to hers as she began, shakily, "Zuko." He waited, knowing that there was more she was going to say.

"I've trusted you to put medicine on my scalp," she chuckled, and for once didn't need to tell herself not to get weepy. Her eyes weren't watering at all, and this was only more proof of what she was saying. "I've trusted you to dance with me," she went on. "I even let you pick me up when dancing. I've trusted you to help me save my own people, even though they'd already saved themselves."

She took another bracing gulp of air, enjoying her newfound courage. "I've trusted you to save Aang," she said slowly, letting her mouth taste the words. It was strange; sharing the responsibility of looking after the Avatar. "And, if you don't know by now, you've already saved _me_ – many times. So…I trust you too, Zuko."

He wet his lips. "I figured as much," he said boastfully as he tried not to grin.

Katara smiled despite herself, laughing a little as she shoved him away. "Don't get cheeky," she warned playfully. Then, in a more serious tone, she said, "I was wrong about you. Not in the very beginning…but when you got me away from June – twice. I had every right to judge your actions as self-serving then, and now I realize that they weren't. So thank you."

He nodded once. "Welcome," he replied softly. "And since we're out in the open here, I want to promise you something."

"Oh…?" Katara looked confused as he took her by the shoulders. They were standing next to the window and his face was lit up by the moonlight – always the blue moonlight – and his pale skin and his scar contrasted in such an odd yet lovely way.

She stared for what felt like the longest time at his face; he truly was regal in appearance, if unkempt. His eyes were amber and liquid and smoldering against his dark lashes, and his one good brow was raised a little, creating a line on his forehead, right before the scar began.

His lips were soft-looking and a light shade of peach, and they moved so eloquently as he spoke, dipping his head lower so that he could better meet her eyes: "I'll take care of Aang," he said, and his tone was true. "I'll do it alone, if I have to. If I'm the only one left at the end. When I swear that I'm going to help you, if not on my own defeat my father and sister, I mean it. I mean every word. I'm here for _you,_ Katara. I'm here for Aang. So is my uncle; so is Ty Lee. And if need be, we're here for Sokka and the earthbender, too."

"Toph," Katara told him. "Her name is Toph. And she's brilliant." Zuko's hands moved over her shoulders, still holding them so that his palms touched her clavicle.

"Whatever you guys need, I'm trying my hardest. I'm not going to let my uncle down again. And I'm not going to let _you_ down again. Although…" his voice trailed off, and he wondered whether what Sokka had said earlier, about telling Katara the truth, was worth it. He didn't want her pride or her approval on the subject; he just thought it best that she know. So he said, "And…I knew Aang was alive."

Katara looked at him with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean…?" she asked, but he hushed her, smiling gently as her frown deepened.

"You thought I betrayed you," he said. "I talked to Sokka about it – but don't bring it up with him. He told me that you'd thought I was your friend, under Ba Sing Se." He paid no mind to the strange look that formed on her face; the truth was more important, and no matter what, he wanted her to know. "To be honest, I grew a little fond of you too. But what I'm telling you is that after my sister hit Aang with her lightning…I knew he was alive. Because you told me about your ability to heal such wounds," he added, involuntarily lifting his left hand from her shoulder to touch his scarring.

"You can't have known. How did you…? No, because Azula was surprised—"

"I didn't tell her," he said slowly, surely. "She'd thought she'd killed him. I wanted to see her face. I had the option of you or my uncle, getting out of Ba Sing Se, and I chose my uncle. It was the obvious choice; I didn't know you. We were sworn enemies. And I wasn't sure what sort of _punishment_ my uncle would get from Azula's crazy imagination. He didn't do anything wrong. But if I chose you and Aang, I might've never seen him again. And when we got home, he wasn't hurt."

"I get it," Katara said around a lump suddenly formed in her throat. "I understand. I would've done the same. I-I…" She clapped a hand over her mouth, frowning as she tried to endure the rush of emotion that the new information gave her. "Oh, Zuko…you kept that a secret for all that time?" She made a strangled noise and wiped a single tear from just under her eye. Sitting down hard on her bed, she gathered her breath and her wits before standing back up. "I'm so sorry," she began, but he held up a hand.

"Don't apologize, Katara. You didn't know. It didn't undo what I'd done before to you guys. It was my burden to bear and now it's all okay. My uncle's safe. Aang is safe. I'm safe. _You're_ safe," he said, smiling brilliantly. "And we're in the middle of a war, making history by the second, but all that matters to me is you guys. You, and my uncle, and Aang, and Ty Lee, and Sokka and Toph, and Mai; even Appa."

"Zuko," Katara blurted, unable to stop grinning as well. "Zuko!" She embraced him again, laughing quietly to herself. The sound of a door opening and closing in the hall sounded, and Zuko knew Sokka had returned.

"Shh. We might wake the others," he warned. "But I'm glad you're glad."

Everything was bright white and sky blue, shaded by midnight blue and charcoal grey. Katara stared at the firebender in front of her, with his beautiful face and heart, and smiled again, feeling strangely peaceful, even though this moment wouldn't last; tomorrow would come and her joy would be darkened by the events of the day. "Let's make the most of it," she said, both to herself and as a response to him.

Standing up on her tiptoes, she grabbed the sides of his face, cradling his jaw and pulling him down, closer to her, and he leaned on his own; willingly. His arms came around to the small of her back and then trailed up to tangle in her hair as her own fingers were already lost in his; they stared at each other for just a moment longer before she closed the distance. He met her happily, leaning forward.

She tasted like fruit and moonbeams, and her hair was soft, knotted around his fingers. To her, he smelled like spice and musk and everything that a firebending prince should smell like; smoke, and candlelight.

Their lips met again and again, quickly and slowly, softly and hungrily, and somehow, it was more spectacular than the first time. They leaned away from each other eventually, and Katara noticed that Zuko's usually-pale cheeks were bright red; she was sure her own face was just as rosy.

There was a tension between them that both of them recognized, and the situation almost turned awkward before Zuko said, very slowly, as if he were trying to convince himself: "I should go."

After a moment, Katara reluctantly agreed, nodding. "Yes," she said quietly, demurely; it wasn't intended, but she suddenly felt shy and warm all at once. Zuko just smiled – not his smirk, or his one-second smile. This one was gentle and foolish and beautiful, and Katara reached up just to trace her cool fingers across his scar. He leaned into her touch, for once not caring who it was touching his face or why; all he knew was that he was happy right now.

But as every moment must end, he turned away, taking two steps towards her door, before stopping, turning halfway so that he could see her face, and saying, "Goodnight, Katara."

"Goodnight, Zuko," she replied, returning his grin.

He left her blue room, only to lie awake for hours, thinking about her, and her kiss, in his red room.

* * *

Morning came with the sound of sharp, loud knocks on the entrance door to the shop below. Katara flung herself out of bed, suddenly wide awake, and ran out of her room, only to meet everyone else in the hallway.

"Where's Sokka?" she asked, but was relieved to see that he was standing next to Toph at the top of the staircase. Ty Lee and Iroh were standing near them, with worried expressions on their faces. "Sokka!" Katara squeaked, running towards her brother. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Sokka said just as tensely, looking over Toph's head towards the earthbender's lodging room. Taking three long strides towards the door, he opened it and sidled over to the window, looking out.

Katara filed in behind him and Toph, and Zuko came behind her. Aang stayed in the doorway with Ty Lee, while Iroh manned the staircase, waiting for the people to come bursting in. There was no doubt of it, from the way they were pounding on the door and yelling, "Open up immediately!"

"There's a bunch of Fire Nation soldiers!" Sokka said over his shoulder, his eyes wild. "Zuko betrayed us!" he screeched, flinging an accusing finger at the firebender across the room.

"No, I didn't," Zuko hissed back at him. Realizing the problem, he made his way over to the window beside the other boy and grudgingly admitted, "But…they're here for Katara. They probably don't know that you guys escaped…"

"What are you talking about?" Katara said from his right, having joined them at the window. "They're after _me? _Why just me?" Sokka pushed her out of sight of the soldiers below, noting the fact that Zuko had followed Sokka's lead in hiding on the sides of the window.

Zuko paused. "Uh, yeah, I probably should have mentioned that – when Mai came to see me, uh, she also said that Azula thought it was suspicious that you weren't with the rest of _them_," he explained, gesturing to Sokka, Toph, and Aang, "so Azula sent out a fleet of soldiers to track you down. I don't think they've done too great a job," he added as an afterthought, mumbling.

"Zuko!" she screeched, sounding almost exactly like her brother had just moments ago. _I see the family resemblance goes beyond the appearance,_ Zuko thought. _I'm so glad I'm not that unlucky._ He shuddered, but Katara's chastising tones called him back to reality. "That's the kind of thing you tell someone!" she hissed, scowling at him and shoving him in anger.

He gulped, looking towards the bedroom door as the sound of the front door falling in cracked through the shop and up the stairs. The incoming group of soldiers would be here any second, and naturally, they all ran towards the door, raising their arms for a bending battle. Zuko raised his arms as well, positioning himself closer to the door than Katara and Aang, and said, "Believe me, I know."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I hope the wait for this chapter wasn't too long! :) Reviews are ace, so you should leave one ;)


	16. The Space Between

Blood spattered against the wall to the left of Katara, and she let out a hissing breath as she turned to see whose blood it was; Sokka and a large, burly-looking soldier were caught with their swords rammed against each other, creating a short, strange scraping sound. The soldier looked to be the one bleeding.

Ducking into the nearest bedroom, Katara's eyes wheeled as she looked for some sort of water basin as the water from her canteen formed glove-like structures around her hands. One of the members of the platoon followed her into the room, and she shot a few pieces of ice in his direction before succeeding in her search. Diving towards a potted plant, she dug her fingers into the dirt until she could feel the roots, and then pulled the water out of it.

The Fire Nation soldier lunged for her; she could feel it through all of the racket out in the hall. A small voice in the back of her mind commented that this was _such_ an impractical place to get into a huge fight.

Spinning around to face her attacker, she raised her hands and the water rose with them, but her target was suddenly blown aside by a large gust of wind. He hit the window and crashed through it, an occurrence that she'd thought only fictional. Katara's head snapped towards the door, and she saw Aang with his hand extended to her. "Come," he said, and she noticed just how much his voice had deepened within the last month and a half.

_His eyes are considerably darker, too_, she thought. _I hope that's just the pressure of this fight…or the lighting._ Grabbing for his hand, she let herself be pulled out of the room and away from the comical broken window. Water wrapped around both of her arms now, and she whipped it towards Sokka and his assailant. Knowing that it might insult Sokka to do so, Katara elected not to freeze the man to the wall for her brother. She couldn't fight the instinct to protect her kin, but she could at least let him take care of himself.

Because she had _other_ things to worry about, like the small fire that suddenly sprung up at her feet. Letting out a yelp and jumping away as the rising flames threatened to eat at her pants, Katara raised her arms and made a dome of water around the sinister orange glow. Pressing the heels of her hands towards the floor, she watched as the water closed down on the fire and tried to listen for the sizzle of hot water hitting the wood. Steam rose, but it wasn't enough to draw more water from.

Turning towards the left end of the hallway, she showed her back to the staircase as she made it all the way out of Ty Lee's room. "Aang!" she shouted over the strange-sounding battle; grunts and hisses were emitted from both sides as flesh met flesh, blade met blade, fire met fire. Air was blowing towards her, pushing her hair up behind her head.

Zuko was at the top of the stairs, punching, kicking, and firebending his way down. He heard Katara yell for the Avatar and checked over his shoulder to make sure they were safe, but Sokka was blocking his view. The Water Tribe boy's limbs were entangled around two men at once, and his face was lethal and focused. Making eye contact with Sokka, he growled, "Move."

Zuko moved.

The two soldiers went careening past the prince, down the stairs, and crashing into their comrades, creating an awkward heap at the bottom. "Uh, sorry I threw you to the wolves back there," Sokka said gruffly. "You're not so bad, are you?"

"No, I'm not," Zuko replied, trying not to smirk. Sokka spun and ran down the hall, towards his sister. In his peripheral vision, Sokka saw Ty Lee and Toph fighting back-to-back as he slipped past them.

His eyes felt sharp, he noticed. They always did when he fought – they always wanted the fight as much as he did. Looking for openings, he found one. Some scrawny, dark-skinned soldier was about to attack Katara from behind. Squeezing his leg muscles into a split-second crouch, he leaped and tackled the other man to the floor, landing on top of him and straddling his middle. Grabbing the collar of the man's armor, Sokka right-hooked him in the cheekbone, and the man slumped.

Scrambling to his feet, Sokka inspected his knuckles for a moment, watching blood seep from them. The impact of his fist against the man's bone had split his skin, and small pains, from the flesh and bone in his hand, shot up his arm. He grinned.

Raising his eyes, he saw that Katara had stopped in front of him, half-turned, staring at him incredulously. Feeling his face harden, he pushed past her. "Go around and help Toph," he told her in a rough tone. "I'll get Aang."

Without checking to see if Katara obeyed, he turned towards the end of the hall and his eyes locked onto the airbender's small figure; Aang was whipping wind at three different soldiers, all of whom were desperately trying to run towards him…and away from Zuko's uncle, Iroh, who was _breathing fire._

Sokka ducked, rolled, and came up right next to the dude closest to Aang. Throwing a cheeky smile towards Aang as a greeting, he threw himself at the soldier. The guy reciprocated the push and Sokka's back smacked against the wall; he felt his shoulderblades dig into the hard, greyish-blue painted surface. He breathed out a hiss worthy of a firebender and felt the man's hands grab him by the neck, suddenly searing.

"Agh!" he snarled, cursing. The soldier's face was practically all he could see, and he swung his arms up, trying to propel the firebender away. Just past the man's vicious sneer, he saw one of the other soldiers get past Aang's wind. The remaining soldier, unfortunately, came over to help the first one with Sokka, pinning his arms with the same menacing grin.

He felt his flesh burning, could smell it. Where the soldier's fingers were, there were small flames, scalding his skin, pressing harder to close off the air. He could've sworn his neck was bubbling and popping. Black spots were forming in his vision, and he choked, trying to get breath into his lungs. His knees suddenly felt wobbly.

And then, just as quickly as he'd started to sizzle and spark, the firebender was met with a bare, white foot to the side of the head; the man holding Sokka's arms was gone almost as quickly.

"Your orders were to take them all alive and _unharmed,"_ Suki said, her voice oozing venom. "I should know – I was there." She looked like the sun.

Sokka's ears popped and he gasped for air, leaning over and slumping against the wall. Bracing one arm against his leg, his other hand went to his throat, and then flinched away as a large stinging sensation overtook his throat, poisoning his head almost immediately. Wincing, he tried to fight the excruciating pain, but his neck was pouring blood and he was getting sleepy alongside the dizziness.

Suki's eyes were wide with horror as she stared at him, and then turned to his right, her left, screaming so hard for Katara that Sokka went deaf for a moment. She took off, out of his sight, which was suddenly tunnel-vision. He reached his bloody hand out after her, his lips trying to form words. _Suki, don't go. Suki._

The world slowed down and the flames running up and down from his throat were picking up the pace, sending their scorching fingers down through his veins and nerves into his middle and up into his mind; there wasn't so much as a headache as his brain felt _starved._

He felt confused. Everything looked blotchy, and then everything was calm. He didn't hear anyone fighting. Katara came and sort of frantically waved her fingers in front of his face. He tried to tell her that he could see her, but his tongue was thick and his mouth tasted like metal.

There was juice dripping down and off his chin; he could feel the heavy droplets falling on his chest and into his lap. It was red, dark tomato juice; if he squinted, it looked brown as it seeped into the blue fabric of his clothes.

His eyes seemed to be opened too wide and his hearing was slow; his fingertips hurt all the way to his earlobes and his teeth chattered over the juice that danced along his tongue. He felt his hair whisper to him, too quiet to make out words, and his legs tingled like his feet were keeping a secret from him.

Black spots shaped like butterflies made dark stars in his eyes. His heartbeat was running out of breath, out of energy. He had to keep going, save Aang. Save Katara. Save Dad and Suki.

But Suki and Katara were right in front of him, their faces panicked. _Who died?_ he asked, but they didn't listen. He didn't think he'd moved his mouth enough. _Is Toph okay? Where's Aang?_

He looked to Katara and Suki vanished from the tunnel. Katara said something: "Papa candid we're be."

_Dad's not here right now, _he told her, frowning and turning his head towards Suki. _Suki, I missed you,_ he said.

She smiled at him, and her face looked conflicted – bittersweet and confused. He blinked around the pain from his throat and tried weakly to return the smile. Katara, to the right, was putting her hands on his arms, his chest, like a mother might. She looked beautiful, with her fingers enveloped in water.

Bringing her hands to his throat, she smiled sadly at him, with tears in her eyes. _She's happy that Suki's back, too,_ Sokka thought. It made him feel giddy. _Suki's a part of us. Family._

He reached for Suki's hand and she grasped his, mouthing words to songs he didn't know. That was okay, as long as she was around. _I have loved you,_ he wanted to say.

Suddenly, a black, heavy hood was placed over his head, and then his vision went dark.

* * *

Katara had never been so frightened in her life – not when the Fire Nation attacked their tribe and killed her mother. Not when her father went off to war. Not when Aang got struck by Azula's lightning.

She pressed her water-covered hands into Sokka's throat, healing, mending. She prayed to Tui and La, to the monks of the Air Nomads, to the Fire Sages. She could see Sokka's skin stitching back up, and she worked her water inside, to the tissue and the veins and the muscles that smelled so badly of burnt flesh. Tears leaked freely down her face, and she moved them with one hand to his mouth, pushing water down his throat for a fleeting moment to ensure that she'd closed the wound on the inside, too.

He was unconscious, but he started to choke on the water, and she drew it out, asking Ty Lee to find Aang to push air into Sokka's lungs. Ty Lee bit back tears of her own, a look of worry deeply etched onto her face. She let go of Sokka's hand and it fell against the wooden floor, and Katara listened to her footsteps tapping away, for Aang.

Sokka had been delirious, had thought Ty Lee was Suki, Katara knew. She'd watched him tell Ty Lee he loved her. He'd called Ty Lee _Suki._ That brought more tears to Katara's eyes.

She'd been fighting her way towards the staircase, past three unconscious soldiers. Zuko was at the foot of the stairs with Toph, fighting a giant firebender. Katara counted the enemies – ten in all, with two still conscious. If there was one thing the group was good at, it was kicking the shit out of bad guys and knocking them out.

Ty Lee had suddenly screamed at her and ran over, dragging her towards her brother. The sight of Sokka with his throat burned open was too horrible for words, but the soldiers were falling rapidly now; Iroh and Toph and Aang and Zuko and Ty Lee were taking care of that. Katara flung herself on the ground in front of Sokka, knowing that she had only one shot to heal him, one chance.

And now, she prayed it was working. His neck was almost completely healed, she could feel it; he'd lost quite a bit of blood and her clothes and his clothes were soaked in it, but there wasn't enough for him to be dead, she thought.

The color slightly returned to his face, and she almost fainted from relief. Aang crouched next to her, putting a hand to Sokka's parted lips and gently pushing air inside. With his other hand, the Avatar gripped Katara's.

Zuko popped into her head but didn't stay long; she wondered where he was, but everything around her was quieter, which meant he wasn't getting the life burned out of him by some Fire Nation soldier.

She moved Sokka's slumped form away from the cold, hard wall and placed his head in her lap, angling his body so that he was comfortable. He was breathing lightly and his eyes had half-closed. Her hand shook in Aang's; the airbender gave her a hopeful smile even though his eyes were filled with the same worry. Katara could feel his pulse against her palm, and let his hand go.

Brushing the small amounts of hair that Sokka had away from his face, Katara gingerly traced her fingers over the lines of his eyebrows, nose, and cheekbones. Sokka's chin had strange-looking streaks of blood going down, but the water that she'd used to heal his neck had washed the blood away.

She bent water around her hand like a glove for the last time, she positioned his head with her left hand underneath, lifting it slightly so she could reach the blood streaks easier. Cupping her palm, she gently weaved water around his jaw, rubbing slightly so all the blood would come off. If it weren't for his bloodstained clothing, nobody would've told that he'd been dying just a few moments ago.

A large, fat tear fell on his face, and it took Katara a moment to realize that the tear belonged to her. Wiping at her eyes and letting the water fall to the ground beside her, she turned to Aang, who was still crouching next to her. "We need to go," she told him. "They've burned this hideout. Literally."

The Avatar nodded, his expression grave. "They always do," he stated. "Every last one."

"Tell Toph and Zuko to pack their bags. Ty Lee might come with us, and Iroh will have to. We can't kill these men, but they _will _wake up and go running right back to Azula and the Fire Lord."

Steepling his hands together on his knees and resting his mouth against them, Aang replied, "Okay. Here, I'll lift him and put him in his bed for now." Gesturing to Sokka, he made a scooping motion with his hands. Katara moved out of the way, holding Sokka's head up to avoid it touching the blood that he'd lost, and Aang put a sheet of air underneath the older boy.

Lifting his hands, Aang called, "Everybody move!" even though no one was around. Katara heard what sounded like an interrogation going on below, and realized that everyone must be helping. Somehow, the unconscious bodies of the soldiers had been removed from the hallway while she sat with her brother, and Katara was surprised not to have noticed.

Catching her lip in between her teeth, she worried it and lifted a shoulder, staring after Aang as he took Sokka into his room. She wondered why Sokka had thought Ty Lee was Suki. Was he hallucinating? Or did he just make himself believe that because he thought he was going to die?

Shaking her head to get rid of the thoughts, she turned towards the stairs, deciding that she should go see what was happening.

* * *

It was strange, sitting in a room with his uncle, Ty Lee, and around ten Fire Nation soldiers. Zuko knew in his heart that letting these men go would be like giving Azula the Avatar's location and how many friends he had with him.

Since Zuko had let himself go missing, it had been obscure as to whether or not he was still on his family's side. Letting these men go would tell Azula that he was not. He'd never be allowed home again – not that he wanted to go back.

Letting these men live would be like ordering his own execution, if the Avatar lost. Right now, he could practically _see_ the bastards reporting everything to Azula; Uncle Iroh, Ty Lee, himself, Katara, Sokka, and Toph would all be sentenced to death should they be captured. And Aang? He'd be manipulated, possibly tortured, until he gave in to the Fire Lord's reign. He'd become a weapon to Zuko's father. Not a person; an object of power.

Looking at the faces of his old and new comrades, Zuko knew that they were thinking the same thing. Ty Lee was gnawing at her fingernails with an intensely thoughtful look on her face. Iroh stroked his beard, staring at the men they'd taken out.

The soldiers were tied up with what little rope they'd found in the cupboards – Iroh said it had arrived tying a box full of tea leaves shut, and he hadn't wanted to dispose of such fine material.

One of the soldiers, a man Ty Lee had recognized as Rin, slumped to the side, coughing slightly. He wasn't a firebender and he was the platoon's leader, so they'd allowed him to stay awake. Ty Lee had knocked all of the other ones who were still conscious out with merely two fingers, and Zuko was glad she was on _his_ side.

Clearing his throat, he decided that there had been enough silence. "Rin," he said calmly, crossing his arms and watching as the other guy jumped, head snapping towards him. "When were you last in contact with my sister?"

"One w-week ago," Rin replied, cowering slightly at the raspy vehemence in Zuko's voice. He'd heard stories about this exiled prince, but he'd never met him face-to-face. The stories had talked about how cowardly and wimpy Zuko was, but looking at the sixteen-year-old now, he realized that they were just rumors to make Zuko look weak and unimportant.

"I'm assuming this was by letter? Nod if yes," Zuko murmured. Rin nodded, and Zuko continued, raising a hand to rub his chin in thought. "What did you say, in the letter? I want details. Don't lie."

"Um, I said that we hadn't found the waterbender yet," Rin stammered. His face was pale and sweaty, and Zuko wondered how a man who looked this squeamish could _possibly_ have gotten to his rank. Zuko recalled that Rin hadn't even made it up the stairs. "And that we were heading towards the Earth Kingdom in search of her. Is she here?"

"That's none of your business," Zuko snapped a little too quickly. Ignoring the glance that Iroh gave him, he walked over to Rin, feeling slightly powerful. Leaning over the man, he muttered, "Here's what's gonna happen. You and your platoon are going to go home and tell my sister that you didn't find _anything_, no matter where you looked. You didn't find my uncle, or Ty Lee, or the Avatar, or the waterbender, or the earthbender, or the Water Tribe boy." Rin glared defiantly up at Zuko, but Zuko just smirked. "I'm being nice enough to let you go, when I _should_ kill you. So you know what? I want you to go home and tell my sister that if she wants to find us, she should come looking for us herself. Tell Azula that we are going to _win this war,_ and she will _never_ become Fire Lord."

Rin grinned, and Zuko raised an eyebrow. "Well then, I guess you'd better hurry up and set me free," said the man. "Because Princess Azula's coronation is happening next week."

"What?" Iroh gasped from the other side of the room. "But Ozai – he will never allow it! Not until his death!"

"Fire Lord Ozai," Rin said, "is taking on a new name. A name by which all of the kingdoms will call him, when they fall under his rule. The Phoenix King," he whispered proudly. "Everyone will answer to him."

Zuko groaned. "Always with the theatrics, my father. He won't win this war. Neither will Azula."

"Don't be so certain," Rin told him. "The Fire Lord is not afraid of a bunch of children."

"He will be," said a new voice. Zuko turned to face the stairs and saw Katara, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest. Her pants, the lower half of her shirt, and her arms were covered in blood; Zuko blanched. All thoughts of Rin and his father and Azula went out of his head as he moved towards Katara in four giant strides, feeling like his head was going to explode.

"Are you _alright?"_ he asked, his voice panicked. He took her arms and stared in horror at the blood, then began inspecting her small frame for places where the blood had come from. The smell of burnt flesh lingered in the air around her; a smell he knew too well. She batted him away, her face morose. "It's not mine," she told him. "It's Sokka's. _I'm_ fine."

Zuko accepted the answer, nodding as if he wasn't entirely convinced that she was physically unharmed. "Where is he?" he asked, realizing that although he didn't know Sokka that well, he still felt a certain amount of protective over the other boy. Probably because he was Katara's brother.

"Upstairs with Aang," Katara said. "I healed him. He'll wake up soon, I hope. And then we have to leave."

Zuko nodded again, running a hand through his hair. "Azula's becoming Fire Lord next week, if what I've been told is true," he told her, looking over his shoulder at Rin's sideways form.

"That means we have a destination," Katara decided, and then turned towards Ty Lee, who was still nervously biting her nails. Beckoning Ty Lee over, Katara said with venom, "Which one hurt Sokka?"

Ty Lee's eyes went wide. "The light-haired one," she answered, pointing towards a gangly-looking firebender sitting a few people away from Rin. His head fell backwards and his mouth was open.

"Katara," Zuko interrupted. "We can't kill him."

"Who said I was going to kill him?" Katara hissed, giving Zuko a dirty look. She looked almost deranged.

"Your face," Ty Lee and Zuko told her simultaneously. Katara bit her lip, staring down at her blood-covered hands. Swallowing hard, she tried not to get emotional in a room filled with people. Moving her face towards the wall, she mulled over her choice. Ty Lee backed away, understanding the barrier; turning towards Iroh, she gave Katara a wide berth of privacy for a discussion with Zuko.

"He hurt _Sokka,"_ Katara said to Zuko, after a thankful glance towards the circus girl's back. Her voice was shaking, as were her hands. Zuko noticed this and wanted to hold her so that she might stop shaking, but now wasn't the time or place. She went on, "I know your relationship with your sister isn't exactly typical, but Sokka is my _brother._ He's my family. That can't go unpunished." The look in her eyes was the same look that Sokka had worn only last night, when he'd said, _"I won't hesitate to kill you."_ Once again, Zuko was struck by the family resemblance.

Taking a bracing breath, he said, "I know how angry that makes you, but listen to me, Katara. Sokka's alive, right? That's what's important. I know you," he said, pausing when she looked away, towards the man who had almost killed Sokka. Her eyes snapped back to Zuko, and he felt her attention return to him as well. "And I know you're not a killer," he continued. "Vengeance is a powerful fuel for that – believe me, I know. But please."

Zuko studied her face; it was set in a serious, angry expression. Her nostrils flared and tears were welling in her eyes, and he could the reasoning behind her words. He knew about her mother. He knew about her father. Sokka was the only blood family she had left. "Zuko—" Katara argued, her frown deepening.

"For me," Zuko cut her off. He raised his good eyebrow and dipped his head so he could meet her eyes. "Please, for me." His amber-colored eyes smoldered underneath his lashes. Moving so that Katara was hidden from the rest of the room behind him, he grabbed her hand and squeezed, watching her bottom lip quiver.

Katara scowled, heaving a sigh and glancing towards the top of the stairs. If she listened closely, she could hear Aang talking to Sokka's unconscious form. "I don't know where you think begging will get you," she muttered half-heartedly, tears coming to her eyes then disappearing. "But…_fine."_ She sniffed.

He smiled, and as she tried to keep glaring, he grew serious. "You're not a killer, Katara. I know it's hard not to fulfill the want for revenge, but I also know how dirty getting revenge makes you _feel."_ His eyes clouded over from the influx of memories. "More often than not, I want to kill my father," he supplied. "He's a corrupt murderer who has burned more people than just me, his own son."

Stepping closer, he continued, "I've watched you this past month and a half, and I know you better than you think I do. I think you're aware of that. So - Katara - I _know_ you don't want to kill anybody. You're just upset, and that's perfectly okay. It's understandable, and it's hard..." His voice trailed off and he studied her for a moment longer. Her eyes glistened but no tears fell, and he felt tears trying to rise to his own eyes as well. Blinking them away, he said, "So please, go upstairs and look after Sokka, okay? _I_ can handle this."

Drawing in a ragged breath, the waterbender nodded. For some reason, Hama came to mind, and she fought back the shudder that rose within her. "Y-You're right. I…" she murmured, then sighed heavily, looking down and shaking her head. "Thank you, Zuko."

"Anytime," he whispered. Squeezing her hand again, he let it go, and watched as she turned and ascended the staircase.

* * *

**Author's Note: **As usual, sorry for the wait! I wrote this in the past few days and it seemed necessary not to put too much into this chapter and all. Especially since I'm planning on killing one of the characters off in the next few chapters...ehehe. Reviews are golden. :D


	17. More Than This

**Author's Note: **Gaaahhhhh it's been so long since I updated! I apologize! I had a huge issue with illness that included many hospital visits (and it's not over yet, weep). Anyway, I wrote this chapter over the past two days, as a sort of...gateway to get me out of all the clusters that were blocking my flow. I hope you enjoy it! As always, read and review! Thanks!

* * *

When Sokka opened his eyes, he felt too groggy, as if he'd slept for days but not taken care of his exhaustion. Jerking upward into a sitting position, he clapped a hand to his forehead as he remembered everything that had happened.

Eyes wheeling around, he discovered that he wasn't in the same place as he had been when he'd blacked out – in fact, he was soaring far above Ba Sing Se. Jaw dropping into a speechless gape, Sokka stared helplessly down at the city.

"Ah, you're up," said a voice from behind him. He turned to see Zuko's uncle – Iroh – smiling at him. Feeling a little queasy, Sokka studied the old man's features before looking past him and spotting the others. Appa's saddle was crowded but everyone fit comfortably; Katara turned from a pointing Zuko to smile gleefully at her brother.

"Sokka!" she cried, delighted that he had finally woken up. It'd been several hours; Sokka could tell because the sun was moved, but not going downward yet. _Afternoon,_ he realized.

Arms suddenly full of Katara, he found himself smiling, raising a hand to his throat. It had bled profusely – but now? There was nothing. "Y-You healed me?" he asked his sister, his stomach turning over. Feeling her nod, he squeezed her tighter with one arm before leaning away. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me," Katara said, smiling and wiping a stray tear from her cheek. "You scared the crap out of us." Gently prodding his neck with her fingers, she said, "Yep, you're all healed up. Thank goodness."

"And the soldiers?" he asked as she took his hand.

"Tied up and left unconscious," a new voice chimed in. Sokka turned to gaze at Aang, who had turned from his spot facing the direction they were headed. The airbender smiled a giant smile at his friend, and Sokka felt better than he usually did.

Zuko scooted over, coming to a stop between Katara and his uncle. "Katara had half a mind to kill the guy that did…_that_ to you," he murmured so only Katara, Sokka, and Iroh could hear, gesturing to Sokka's throat. His mouth quirked up in what Sokka imagined was supposed to be a smile.

Nodding, Sokka squeezed his sister's hand. He glanced behind Iroh at Toph and Ty Lee, who were at the far end of the saddle, thumb wrestling. Raising an eyebrow, he watched as Ty Lee's deft fingers jerked around and around, trying to attack Toph's strong thumb. Sokka knew that Toph always won thumb wars against himself, Aang, and Katara, but he wasn't too sure about Ty Lee. _I'll have to keep watch of that,_ he noted.

Licking his lips, he said, "Where are we going?"

"The Fire Nation," Zuko and Katara answered simultaneously. Coughing and glancing at Katara, Zuko went on, "My sister is apparently getting crowned Fire Lord within the week."

Sokka was taken aback. Dropping Katara's hand, he asked incredulously, "What? How? Is your dad dead?"

Zuko shook his head, shaggy hair falling into his eyes. "No," he told the other boy. "He's becoming the _Phoenix King,_ which will rule over every nation."

"He can't do that," Sokka protested, moving into a cross-legged position. "Especially not with _that_ name."

The Fire Prince chuckled. "Are you alright to walk in through the front door? We have to do this as soon as possible, but…"

"I'm fine," Sokka replied quickly. "Katara healed everything. Trust me, I can tell. I…" his voice trailed off as the last bit of his memory before he blacked out clicked into place, and suddenly his heart was racing, and he was saying repeatedly, "Where's Suki?"

"Sokka—" Katara cut him off, putting up her hands to try and calm him. He slapped them away, to which Zuko snarled, _"Hey!"_

Ignoring the firebender and rising onto his knees to do a headcount, Sokka growled, "Where's Suki?"

"Suki's not here, Sokka!" Katara told him, her eyes somewhere between pity and defiance. "Suki's not here. She wasn't there when you were injured, either. I'm sorry, Sokka."

Sokka paused, looking down at his sister. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice harsh and his eyes terse with rage.

Katara blinked and took a breath before saying, "You were _hallucinating._ You saw Ty Lee and you thought she was Suki…"

Sokka's eyes snapped towards Ty Lee, who had dropped Toph's hand and was staring back, wide-eyed and guilty-looking. He slowly closed his eyes and reopened them, still finding Ty Lee instead of Suki. "Oh," he said, and sank down into a sitting position on his heels. "Oh, I see. I'm…sorry."

Iroh moved away, giving the siblings space to be a family. Zuko stayed near Katara but turned his hearing off, looking to his left and studying the blue tattoos that lined the back of Aang's head.

Katara was holding Sokka's hands again, giving him a solemn look. "Sokka?" she asked tentatively, drawing him back from whatever distant place he'd gone to in the few seconds of silence – she imagined that it was a place where Suki was. Clearing her throat, she continued, "Ty Lee thinks she might know which prison Dad and Suki were put into. It's on an island…"

"We're going," Sokka said, nodding before anything else could be said. "Azula isn't getting her crown right away, right?" His eyes were hard, but he looked at Katara tenderly. "We're going," he said again, finalizing the matter. Katara closed her eyes and agreed.

More hours passed and the day yawned and stretched into the night; the sun began its disappearing act below the horizon, and the moon peeked out from the opposite end of the earth. The islands that made up the edge of the Fire Nation grew into the full continent; Zuko recognized the shape of the northern part of his homeland from history books and maps which he'd studied relentlessly during his search for the Avatar and his friends.

_And I found them,_ Zuko thought, moving his gaze over the people around him, from Toph to Katara to Sokka to Aang. _I found friends, albeit new, in them, weird as it seems._

"Break for food?" Aang called from the front, his voice sleepy. Various noises of agreement resounded from the rest of the group, and they began their descent to a small village located near the sea.

As they walked cautiously through the market, Katara was reminded of the village of Jang Hui, where she'd not long ago masqueraded as the Painted Lady. Catching her lip in between her teeth and worrying it until she felt it bruise, Katara glanced around and hoped that there weren't starving or diseased people around here. Sokka had too much stress on his shoulders already, and the group as a whole didn't need any more on their plate.

They found a place that sold noodles cheap. Buying seven bowls, the group of outlaws casually walked away, finding a batch of trees with lovely shade that they could sit under. Sokka felt slightly nervous about eating after having a gaping hole in his throat that had only healed hours ago.

But Katara had given him water, so he greedily took the first bite. The noodles were delicious, as the rest of the group was finding out. The sun was bright orange and beat down on them with heat waves for fists; still they smiled and laughed with each other as if they weren't in the middle of a war, sitting right on the enemy's territory.

Iroh was telling them a story about his teenage years, with animated gestures and descriptions of his friends. "Then I tied him to a tree," he said in his old, wise voice, leaning in close. "And everyone started calling me Captain. It was only pretend, but we'd beaten the bad guys…"

"Didn't you tie Katara to a tree at one point?" Toph said, slurping up a noodle and pointing her chopsticks at Zuko. The prince blanched, inhaling his own noodles, and coughed raggedly, making his whole body shake.

"Let's not discuss that?" he said weakly, eyes watering. Clearing his throat, he hunched over, feeling mortified.

"What _I'm_ surprised at," continued the earthbender, "is the fact that Katara stood still long enough for you to do that."

"It wasn't like that!" hissed Katara, whose face was flushed with embarrassment. She sat to Toph's left and across from Zuko, who was sandwiched in between Iroh and Ty Lee. Sneaking a glance at her brother's dissatisfied face, Katara swallowed. "Finish your noodles," she hissed.

"I'm doing so, Mother," Toph retorted, smirking; then, she added, "You know, I have the feeling that you're going to outlive us all, Katara."

Katara snorted. "_Or,_ maybe I'll die from being so overworked by you guys. You guys can't even fold your laundry."

"Shh," Toph said comfortingly.

* * *

"So, what's the plan?" Zuko asked after a while, tentatively, as if he wasn't sure that he had a definite place in the group yet. Looking around at his newfound comrades, he wasn't sure if he felt more comfortable because Uncle Iroh was there, or because Katara was there. Glancing at Ty Lee, he was a little grateful for her presence because she was someone he'd grown up with and someone who had also turned their back on his sister.

They were traveling towards the palace, he knew. He felt like he should be worried, apprehensive, but all he could think about, now that the crises of an attack and Sokka almost dying were over with, was Katara's lips on his. It seemed like it'd been months ago instead of just last night, and Zuko wanted to make it feel brand-new again.

Blushing, he realized that Katara's friends probably would hate him even more if that happened. He figured Ty Lee would too; considering her best friend all her life had been Mai. He noticed that Katara couldn't exactly meet his eyes for too long – she would blush and look away, giving a small, secretive smile. Zuko enjoyed this coyness but always sought to catch her eye again, hoping to get a bigger reaction out of her. He had to be careful, though – otherwise the others might see, and questions would arise. That was the last thing he or Katara wanted right now.

Aang sighed, saying, "We're going to defeat the Firelord. But I need training so I can beat him."

"Well, you've got one of the world's best firebenders at hand, so I'm certain you'll do fine," Ty Lee said reassuringly, placing a brave grin upon her delicate face.

"You mean Zuko?" Sokka asked, looking unnerved. Zuko remembered that he'd thought Ty Lee was someone named Suki, someone he'd loved dearly.

"Er, no, I mean General Iroh," Ty Lee stammered awkwardly, pointing over her shoulder to Iroh, who was sitting with glazed eyes and his hands in his lap. Seven people being crammed into Appa's saddle meant everyone was sitting at an uncomfortably close distance from each other, but he was taking it with ease.

Iroh raised his eyebrows. "Zuko has become a great firebender himself, in the time since you have last seen him, Ty Lee," he said wisely, nodding slowly. "I'm sure too much was going on back in Ba Sing Se for you to watch him, but he is very skilled. Powerful, too."

Zuko tried not to smile at that.

* * *

Hours went by, and the group divided into small bits, deciding that they would camp in the woods before resuming their march towards the palace. Zuko broke away from Ty Lee, Toph, and Iroh, following along the path a small trickling stream towards a slightly larger creek, taking time to meditate like his uncle told him; breathing in the cool night air and smelling the aroma of distant embers burning in a fireplace or an oven, carried through the night like a sigh emitted from an airbender.

He lay down in the grass, feeling the cool green blades poke his fingertips and forearms. Staring up at the sky, he watched the moon and the stars, feeling for all the world as if they were looking down on him, with their twinkling white light, and nodding their approval.

He breathed in a deep breath, allowing his heavy eyelids to droop, recalling a bit of a conversation that he'd had with Katara at some point in the past couple months, about how when her power rose with the moon, she could feel its light like the thrum of a heartbeat in her palms, and then she'd gotten quiet, as if she'd wanted to say something but didn't.

Zuko really liked that about Katara – aside from all the things she said, he thought she looked prettiest when she had the smallest of smiles on her face, her dark eyelashes lowered as she thought of the distant, distant past, amused and reminiscing and empty-handed. He hadn't experienced this often, but he liked it just the same.

He lay for what seemed like days, although the sun never rose. Dozing off for a while, he allowed himself to relax completely, draining himself of worry long enough to get a bit of rest. He felt blue; not sad, but just a deep, peaceful blue, and it was one of the strangest things he'd ever felt in his life, but also one of the most wondrous.

"Zuko?" came a soft voice from the trees, and he turned his head, half-asleep.

"Hnn?" he asked, lifting a hand to wipe at his face, then sitting straight up when he realized he had company. "What?"

Katara stepped out from behind a bush, clasping her hands behind her back and looking shy. "Did I wake you?"

"Yes," he replied, shrugging. "I wasn't all asleep though. You okay?"

She nodded, smiling a little. "I'm fine," she told him. "Sokka's asleep. It took him ages…Aang falls asleep so suddenly, but Sokka just lies and stares up at the moon for hours on end. It's sad, but I can't do anything about it."

"What do you mean? He's sad that he's not a waterbender?" Zuko asked, combing his fingers through his hair and drawing his knees close to his chest, putting his arms around them and resting his chin on his knee. He was a few feet from the water, so he stretched out one leg and dipped the toe of his shoe in it; it rippled a little before falling still again. She crouched next to him, resting her chin on her knees as well, and fidgeting with her hands by her ankles.

Katara looked at him, wide-eyed. "Oh, no," she murmured. "You wouldn't know…Um. Do you remember…the North? The North Water Tribe. The uh, the princess there, her name was Yue and she was…beautiful, and kind, and intelligent. When she was a baby, she was sick, and she was healed by the fish in that pond…Tui and La. The white fish…it was, uh, injured, and Yue kind of gave her life to let it live. Sokka was in love with her."

"…I remember the fish," Zuko said after a moment. And he remembered what he'd done. "You know, sometimes I wish I could lose my memory."

Katara, who had stiffened, slackened her posture and said, "Don't say that. Your memory makes you who you are. From…the wretchedness of what your father beat into you and what you believed so wholeheartedly to the times of love and happiness, however fleeting, that you've shared. Your mother, your uncle, Mai; they all love you more than you know."

He leaned to the side, watching small twigs float through the water. "Do you think I would've been different? If I hadn't been burned?"

Katara shrugged. "I don't know, really. I think you would've been the same, maybe less harsh, but still…driven by the anger of not feeling good enough for your father's approval. It's a sticky subject. I know you wanna hear me say that you'd've been good from the start, but the people who raise you, however awfully, kind of have a way of making you believe what they do."

"So we have your parents to thank for what you and Sokka are doing?" he asked, smiling and trying to make it _not_ look like a grimace.

She nodded. "And my grandmother." Lying down, she splayed her arms out to her sides; the tips of her fingers almost reached Zuko, and he laid down too, turning his head to the side and pressing his ear into the grass, as if he were trying to hear the reverberations of the song sung by the blood running through her veins through the soft earth.

Her chest gently rose and fell fourteen times before she spoke again, and by that time he was so enthralled that he almost forgot to listen. But this was the important stuff, he knew. The things she told him when no one else was around…

"Do you ever wonder if we were meant for something more than this?" she asked softly, her voice carrying through the slight breeze. "More than helping Aang defeat your father."

Zuko smiled a lazy half-smile. "Are you saying this isn't enough?" he asked, amused. Blinking slowly, he watched as she turned her head towards him as well. If he reached out, he could touch her, but he didn't. Instead, he looked up at the stars, his eyes alight with a fire not found here on land. "Our bodies were built for this," he told her, making a fist of his hand as if to prove his point. "We were sculpted by destiny, each one of us. Just like the Avatar must rise time after time, so shall he have great teachers. From what I've seen of you and Toph, in both battle and allegiance, he has creativity and ferocity on his side. I can only hope to be so great. It's passion; his passion, Toph's passion, your passion; history in the making, being carved by the hands of four wayward teenagers and their motley crew of friends and enemies."

"Five wayward teenagers," she corrected him, raising a finger and pointing at him. "But what happens after we're done? This war can't go on forever. What do we do then?"

He shrugged, lifting a hand to scratch his head. "We get older," he said. "We watch the world grow again from the old seeds we've planted. We give help where it's needed. We teach. We learn."

"You sound like your uncle," she said around a yawn. "Wise."

Letting out a short breath of laughter, he said, "That's what I get for spending so long on the road alone with him." He smiled towards her, and she sat up.

"I guess it paid off, then," she told him. "I'm glad it did."

"Me too," he agreed. Stretching, he straightened himself into a sitting position, and then stood after a moment. Walking towards the water, he bent to pull off his shoes and said, "Katara? Can I tell you something?" Even though he wasn't looking, he knew she was nodding as she said, "I'm listening."

He faltered for a moment, taking a deep breath and glancing up to the stars again before saying, "I don't think I'll ever be able to properly mix with you. It's like I'm oil and you're the water. I'm dirty, greasy, and unclean…and you, Katara, you're…clear, soothing, and balanced."

Zuko was quiet again, and honestly, a little afraid of what she might say. _You're right, Zuko, you'll never be one of us. Just stop trying and go back to your old ways; we dealt with you better when you were like that._ But he felt her before he realized that she'd even moved, and he came rushing down from the stars that his eyes so desperately clung to, undulating like a leaf in the wind, and her fingers clutched gently at the base of his neck, tangling in his hair and tilting his head down towards her.

Her eyes shone, as they always did, like blue beacons of faith against her smooth, tan skin, and her dark brown hair. She had a relaxed smile but her eyes looked defiant, and she put her other hand on his shoulder. "That's not the way I see it," she said. "Not at all."

He swallowed. "I've always been worse than all of you combined, Katara," he reasoned, but she simply shook her head. He backed up into the water until it tickled under his knees, and she followed.

"No. You're water, just like me, just like Aang, and Sokka and Toph. You've just got a lot of mud in you. But you know what? You've got the world's best waterbender, the world's best earthbender, and the Avatar – who, by the way, is being taught by these two lovely ladies – at your side. We can work together with you and separate it, okay? We can get the mud out. You wouldn't technically be fresh water anymore, but hey, us wayward teenagers have our own demons too. That's the good thing about friendship: we're here to relieve some of your burden, Zuko. We can relate. You can count on us, just as we can count on you."

"And what about the air and the fire?" he asked, leaning into her hands. It was his instinct to be stubborn and argue, but she already had an answer prepared.

"Both can be slight and breezy," she told him, wise as Iroh himself, and a small gust of wind lifted their hair away from their heads as if to prove her words. "But neither are ever weak or shallow. And when the time comes, they both can prove to be very, very strong."

"Katara?" he asked, and his voice sounded like a child's. "I'm in love with you."

She took in a breath, speechless, then blew it out through her nose, slowly and calmly, and said, "I know."

"I try not to acknowledge it," he continued. "But I hear you. I hear you _everywhere."_ He took a shaky breath. "And Katara?" he asked again, his voice sounding almost desperate. "I don't want to hear anything else."

She embraced him and he wrapped his arms around her, his eyelids heavy from being so tired. They swayed slightly, both up to their knees in the water, and then she pulled him down until they were on their knees, their elbows; practically lying in the water. Placing her hand on his forehead, Katara smiled down from above him and said, "You trust me."

"I do," he said softly, and allowed her to push him all the way under. Her own face soon followed and he found there was an air bubble around their faces, or rather that she was holding the water away and allowing the air to flow inside.

Their mouths met and she closed the water over their heads, silent and peaceful and dark blue in the moonlight, their fingers intertwined underneath the small waves. Her hair fell over Zuko's face like a curtain, and he peeked up at the moon through the water; it shimmered and danced above the dainty yet tremulous waves, not at all a perfect circle through this illusion.

A little ways' down the creek, Aang stood with his toes curled into the water bank, staring down at the spinning ball of air that hovered between his raised hands. Completely unaware of the waterbender and the firebender so close yet so far from him, he turned away from the water and walked back towards camp, past a snoring Sokka and a twitching Toph, a curled-up Ty Lee and a silent Iroh. He didn't notice the absence even then, because he was too exhausted to do a headcount.

Lying down and pulling his blanket up to his chin, he closed his eyes and dreamed of a world where peace had been reached instead of just always being out of grasp, with his loved ones at his sides, leading the world to kindness every step of the way. He would soon be able to fulfill this dream in reality, and he could almost taste the cleanliness of the new world.

Katara and Zuko returned to camp a few minutes later, faces flushed from secrecy and happiness lighting up their eyes. They could feel the new world as well, beating loudly like a drum in their chests and a hummingbird in their throats. It was just in reach, on the horizon, and they had only a few more steps to go to get to it – no matter how difficult, they would pull through, win the war with Aang, and rebuild the trust that had been lost between benders for too long.

This was it: the beginning; the start of an era. And the five wayward teenagers and their motley crew of friends were standing on the frontline, ready with their weapons and their hearts and their battle cries, no longer willing to wait for their time to come. Their time was now, and _sages help_ anyone who stood in their way.


	18. Kindred Spirits

The next morning, Katara woke up to cold water being splashed right in her face. Sitting straight up, she waved an arm blindly, bending the water away from her face and hissing, "Hey! What _gives?"_

A boyish laugh came from above her, and then another, and she took her hand away from her face to see Aang with little balls of water floating around him, Sokka with water cupped in his hands, and Zuko, sitting off to the side with his dark hair soaking wet and hanging in his eyes.

"Oh," Katara said, eyes narrowing. "I see." Bending the boys' water away from them, she sent it flying towards their heads, and they ducked. A full-fledged water fight ensued, with her neatly whooping their butts. Toph, Iroh, and Ty Lee laughed from a ways away, obviously having been in on the joke.

She drenched Sokka first, making an ice patch underneath him so he would goof up more easily. Bending water from the stream nearby, she made a giant fist and grabbed Aang, who used air to shoot himself out of the hole as if from a cannon. Flying through the air with his lithe body, he swerved and drew up his own mass of water, clutching his hands together and then pushing straight out to make a wave.

Katara stood her ground, but turned sideways, raising a hand to carve a slit in the water for her body to pass through. Gaining control of the water, she turned and her eyes caught those of Zuko, who was fumbling around and trying to avoid water as much as possible. Skilled as he was in martial arts, he had no control over anything but water right now, and this was a friendly game, so he wouldn't use it.

Smiling a devilish grin, she sent the big mound of water straight for him just as he dove at her. He crashed through the water and tackled her on the ground before rolling to the side and raising his hands as Sokka and Aang came at him, the same impish smiles shining on their faces.

Sokka's hair had fallen out of its ponytail and was hanging wet and loose like Zuko's. He ran to the creek to retrieve more water, then returned to dump it over Aang's head. The three fell to the ground in a puddle of mud and giggles, and Katara noticed Zuko sitting off to the side. Smiling at him when he looked at her, she got up and bent the boys clean and dry, sending the water back to the creek. Tiptoeing through the grass towards the firebender, she asked quietly, "Is today the big day?"

He raised his eyebrows at first, but when he realized that she meant the beginning of Aang's firebending training, he nodded. "Yeah, I guess it is. I hope I can prepare him in time…"

Crouching, Katara bent extra drops of water out of his hair, and she smiled again. "I know you can." Delicately touching his arm before she stood again, she looked over her shoulder at the rest of the gang. Sokka and Aang had rushed to meet Toph and the others. "It's gonna be a good day."

They joined the others and ate a meal of fish and tea, and then they broke into circles. Toph, Ty Lee, Iroh, and Sokka all sat quietly after Aang, Katara, and Zuko left, lazing around until Ty Lee jumped up and said, "Why don't we go into the village?" and away they traipsed, towards a small village to explore and leave the airbender, the firebender, and the waterbender to their work.

Zuko paced back and forth in front of Aang, his head bowed and his hands behind his back. He spoke the words of his father, uncle Iroh, and anyone else who had taught him firebending techniques: "Firebending does not require fluidity in mind and motion as waterbending does. It does not require power and control as earthbending does, and it does not require balance and unity as airbending does. It is the only wild, uncontrollable element and therefore firebenders are often represented as wild and uncontrollable. Our recent history doesn't exactly prove that wrong. Firebending…requires emotion and accuracy. You can blow someone away with air, throw a massive boulder at them and knock them down, or send a wave of water in their direction to discourage them. Fire needs precision, confidence; sometimes aggression."

He stopped pacing and turned to Aang; stepping forward, he held his hands in the air and said, "I want you to punch my hands as hard as you can."

Aang frowned, crossing his arms in a very Katara-esque fashion as he said, "I don't know, Zuko." He looked uncertainly up at the older boy, his big eyes a reminder of how the weight of the world had been pushed onto such a young person.

Zuko accepted his hesitance with a nod, because he'd expected it. "Aang, you don't have to use violence in firebending. I know you probably won't believe that from what you've seen, but you have to trust me. I'm aware that you're not an aggressive person, but it's the same principle that earthbending uses. Air and water will glide around when you bend them, but earth and fire need a push. Like earthbenders stomping into the ground instead of simply tapping it with their toes, you need to give something extra to prove that you can control the element. It won't always be so difficult, but you're a beginner and you need to learn. Punch my hands, it won't hurt me."

So Aang raised his fists and punched at Zuko's hands, hitting the upper half of Zuko's palms lamely. "You have to be serious, Aang," Zuko murmured. "Put force behind it. Take all the wild emotions you have – all the anger, the fear, and the love – and channel it into your fists. Then hit me again."

Aang braced himself and sent his fist towards Zuko's hand again, feeling this time how his knuckles dug into the muscle of Zuko's palm. He punched Zuko's other hand with his other fist and felt heat coil into his fingers.

"Good," Zuko said under his breath, nodding. They practiced that about twenty more times before he stopped them and said, "Now picture how you control air, water, and earth. Can you feel them?"

Aang drew in a deep breath, allowing his eyelids to fall half-shut and glaze over. He did indeed feel them; the air as it wafted all around, through leaves and branches and brushing against his clothes. He felt it reverberate in his bones; it was the essence of his spirit. He felt the water coursing through the nearby creek, felt it deep in the ground under his feet and in his veins. He felt the earth in the dirt and the rocks and the trees and the plants. "Yes," he answered after a moment.

Zuko nodded. "Now find the fire." He dropped his hands to his sides and watched Aang, watched his face as he searched for the fire. Aang frowned, rolling his shoulders back and forth before saying, "I only feel the sun." To this, Zuko dipped his head forward and stepped away. "Close your eyes, and search again. Remember the way you found the others, okay?" Zuko told him.

Aang closed his eyes completely this time, concentrating loosely on the elements around him. Earth, air, water…but no fire. He felt Zuko moving farther away, knowing that the prince was probably trying to distract him.

Zuko stepped away from the Avatar carefully, eyeing him to make sure he didn't open his eyes. Tiptoeing over to Katara, who was standing nearby to heal people just in case someone got burnt, he said, "Don't let him control the water, okay? You're most likely a stronger bender than he is, so keep it away from him." She looked confused, but nodded, and Zuko ghosted further away.

Aang focused on the sun, the heat…and finally, he sensed the presence of fire. Smiling, he opened his eyes and said, "I found it!"

…And then his mouth fell agape in horror as he realized the source of the fire.

The nearest tree was aflame.

"Put it out," Zuko said simply. "Before the smoke rises too high and the villagers come to find the Avatar behind enemy lines." He stood by the tree with his arms crossed, like it didn't faze him at all to know that he was destroying a living thing, and Aang's first instinct was to blow a huge gust of wind at the tree, but it only made the flames dance.

"Zuko?!" Aang shrieked, his voice rising an octave. His next instinct was to bend water from the creek to douse the flames, and he lifted a mass of water about ten feet in the air before it was pushed down again, and he saw Katara with her hand out, looking awkward and shrugging as he stared at her in disbelief.

"He told me not to let you use water," she called to him, and his eyes almost bugged out of his head. He raised his hands and tried to bend the flames away from the tree as he would with water, but it did nothing.

Zuko walked towards him with ease and said, "Flames aren't controllable. You can't just make them leave once they've found something to burn. They have to be smothered." Grabbing Aang's hand, he stood beside the boy and held both their arms out, letting go of Aang's wrist and holding his own hand face down, fingers together, and cupping it.

Aang mimicked him, and Zuko said, "Smother it. Snuff it out. Like a candle. Don't let air get to it, or it will burn."

_It's already burning,_ Aang thought. He imagined his fist closing over the fire like he was placing a pot around it, and to his surprise, the fire dwindled and then snuffed out. "What?" he said in disbelief as he wiped the smoke out of the air.

Zuko ignored the question and stepped towards the tree once more, raising his hand and producing a flame that hovered above his palm. Slowly, he twisted it upwards with his fingers, making it look like a long rope that was hovering, getting closer and closer to the singed tree. Aang realized that he intended to set the tree on fire again, and shouted, "No! Don't do that, it'll hurt the tree!"

Zuko shrugged. "So stop me," he said, nonchalant.

Frowning in frustration, Aang raised his hand and practiced the cupping motion again, batting the fire-rope away from the tree. Zuko let it go and it disappeared, and he turned to Aang and smiled. "That concludes lesson one," he said. "You can manipulate fire."

For the rest of the afternoon, they worked on lesson two, which was learning how to manage fire and produce fire. "Punch the air like you punched my fists, Aang," Zuko instructed, and Aang huffed and puffed until a small spark spit out into the air. Zuko stopped what he was doing and gave Aang a withering look. "That was the most pathetic thing I've ever seen in my life," he told the Avatar with a flat voice. "Try again."

Aang took a deep breath and punched the air again; this time a bigger burst of flame erupted. Soon he was making little fireballs in his hands as easily as he did balls of air, but there was a certain carefulness he held around the fire that the he lacked when bending air.

When the sun began to set, the others returned to the campsite with two bags of food and a couple new clothing items. Sitting in a circle, they ate noodles once again, and there was a light mood all around. Toph and Ty Lee shared stories of how they were going to train by themselves; Ty Lee would teach Toph to be more lightweight and nimble in a fight, and Toph would teach Ty Lee how to pack a punch alongside being swift as she normally was.

At the beginning of the meal, Iroh sat next to Aang and showed the airbender how to heat tea; after two broken tea pots, Aang got it right, and they all enjoyed deliciously warm tea. Zuko then taught Aang how to make steam, and Aang was better at this because he had the aid of air and water. He ended up producing steam puppets and telling a story with them; there was a giant monster, but together a band of kids defeated it and lived happily ever after. Katara and Zuko shared a look, knowing how similar the story was to Aang's own.

Ty Lee launched into a story about her circus days, involving her sisters, and Zuko was amazed that she would open up about her past in front of people who were next-to-strangers. He realized that, just like he was, Ty Lee was beginning to trust the others, and he gave a small smile when she looked at him.

Sokka, at one point, pulled Katara away and unearthed a small package from his shirt, a keen look in his eye as he tugged on the cord that tied the parcel together. The folds fell open to reveal a pair of dangerous-looking, black-bladed knives. They were etched with flowers and dragons. "I thought you might like these," he murmured, pulling her close for a hug. "And you might need them just in case you find yourself without enough water. I love you."

Surprised, Katara said, "Thank you, Sokka. This means a lot to me." Squeezing her brother back, she nestled her face into his neck and was startled to notice that he no longer smelled like the Southern Water Tribe, or their little hut, or their grandmother.

But he still smelled like _home._ Smiling sadly, she linked her hand with his and said, "Aang made lots of progress today. You should've seen it. He stopped a tree from burning, he made little fireballs, and he pushed fire out of Zuko's hand. And you already know he's learned how to make steam."

Nodding, Sokka said, "You speak of him like you're a proud parent. Sometimes Toph isn't joking when she calls you Mother, you know." Katara laughed at this; she really had to harness her motherly nature before everyone began calling her that. Sokka continued, "Aang's in love with you. He has been since he first saw you. But you know that."

She blushed. "I know he has a crush. But I don't really…return it."

Sokka nodded again, dipping his head. "I know. Listen: in the morning, I was planning on leaving to go get Suki and Dad. You're coming, right?"

Katara frowned as if he even had to ask. "Of course!" she said. "We should bring Zuko and Ty Lee as well.

Sokka turned and walked towards the group, his sister trailing in his wake. "Tomorrow, we're going to rescue my dad and my girlfriend. Katara and I are already planning on going, so who else wants to come with? We'll need Ty Lee and Zuko," he said, pointing to the Fire Nation ex-citizens in question. No one else raised their hands, and so it was decided that Iroh, Toph, and Aang would stay behind.

Training Aang as a firebender would continue whenever they got back, and then, after briefing Katara and Sokka's father and Suki on what was happening, they would march into the palace and stop Azula's coronation, no matter what.

The gang could only hope that the next few days would be as easy as the one they'd just had.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Ha! I only took a month to update this time. Even though this was an incredibly short chapter...Anyways, I'm out of school for the summer so you can expect many updates not just on THIS fic, but ALL my fics :D Make sure you check those out as well, okay? As always, reviews are peaches and cream!


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